SFX.257.March.2015.True.PDF

12 MONKEYS ORPHAN BLACK JONATHAN STRANOE& MR NORRELL iZOMBIE HELIX TATAR

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STAR WARS; THE FORCE AWAKEHS*THE FUSHMHE I00*H0VERR0ARDS
AMY AGKER*NEAL ASHER*RIE HERD 6*M NIGHT SHYAMALAN DDES TV.y^

JUPITER

ASCENDING

It’S The Matrix in space!

AKINDOF
TRAGIC

Why Highlander 2
was not the one

MOVE OVER 007

THE SECR

SERVCE

Colin Firth shows
Bond how to Kick-

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS!

MARVEL’S PHASE THREE: THE FACTS

Future

WARHAMMER

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SONS OF WRATH

SONS OF

WRATH

The origin story of the Flesh Tearers

BY Andy Smillie

SONS OF

WRATH

Forged in the bloody aftermath of the galaxy’s greatest
civil war, the Flesh Tearers are the most ferocious Chapter of
Space Marines in the Imperium.

With their Legion divided, these warriors must find a new
purpose or be consumed by the dark curse of their bloodline,

eBook and Hardback edition now available from blacklibrary.com

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WELCOME TO SFX 257

CONTENTS

9 RED ALERT

M Night Shyamalan takes a trip to Wayward Pines
while we pass judgement on that Star Wars trailer.

25 READER SURVEY

We want to know what you think of SFXl

3DCDLUMNISTS

Langford looks for mistakes, while Bonnie asks why
Wonder Woman’s spent so long in development hell.

33 THE WRITING DEAD 2

Our zombie short story competition has risen again.

36PDSTAPDCALYPSE

This bit is all about you! You only have you to blame.

44BLASTERMINDQUIZ

Grapple with some questions about sci-fi wrestlers.

46 KINGSMAN cover feature!

Who thought that nice Mr Darcy would wind up in
The Secret Service? Turns out he’s handy with a brolly.

52 THE UNMISSABLE TV PREVIEW

It’s cold outside and there are wolves - best stay at
home with our winter TV preview to guide you.

64 MARVEL’S AGENT CARTER

AKA What Hayley Atwell did when Cap was on ice.

68CLDSEENCDUNTER

Candice Patton on keeping up with The Flash.

7D MARVEL MDVIE PREVIEW

Anything DC can do... with added Black Panther,
Captain Marvel and a generous dash of Avenger.

74 BACK TD THE FUTURE PART II

The campaign for Jaws 19 starts here.

76 JUPITER ASCENDING

They’ve done computers and motor racing - now
the Wachowskis are ticking off outer space.

8DGRDUGHTTDGDDK

Neal Asher discusses Polity and politics.

82 BIG HERD 6

It’s Marvel again, but not as we know it.

86 HIGHLANDER II: THE QUICKENING

Turns out not even the director likes this movie.

QD PENNY DREADFUL

Definitely not giving up horror for the new year.

93 RATED

The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies in
cinemas, Lucy on shiny discs. Dark Intelligence on
the page - together at last in our reviews section.

124 VIEW SCREEN

Arrow, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries and more.

13DTDTAL RECALL

Remembering the Riddler from ’60s Batman.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

THE MOST ICONIC OF ALL SCI-FI FILMS
IN AN ALL NEW ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION.

2 X BLU-RAY STEELBOOK WITH ADDITIONAL SPECIAL FEATURES
LIMITED EDITION OF 4000. AVAILABLE JANUARY.

EIJII!

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eo aone

Issue 257 • March 2015

The Inside Skinny

What your SFX chums are thinking about...

Richard
Edwards

ur — IK
RAVES

The Force Awakens
trailer made me happy in
a way I never thought 88
seconds of movie clips
could. It can’t come out soon enough.

RANTS

Was it really necessary to cram first trailers
for Star Wars, Jurassic World and Terminator
Genisys - not to mention the Bond SPECTRE
announcement - into a mere nine days?

Nick

SETCHFreLD

r E.~_TU KJi:s

RAVES

Thrilled to see Bond
battling SPECTRE again.

Is it too much to hope for
monorails and piranha
pools? Okay, I’ll settle for the cat.

Amazed that people are quibbling about
Benedict Cumberbatch being cast as Doctor
Strange. Too obvious? Too perfect? Too right?
Hm. Are we taking spot-on casting for granted
now? 20 years ago it would have been Arnie....

Alex Cox

Ol-iSKATlONS
Editor
RANTS

Let’s unfairly rate films
based only on trailers!

Jurassic World: doing for
the dP franchise what
Crystal Skull did for Indy. A terrible waste.
Terminator Genysis: Young Arnold has been
inflated beyond even his original grotesque
proportions. Therefore this will be amazing.
The Force Awakens: Worse than Attack Of The
Clones. Definitely. [That’s it, get out - Ed]

lAN BERRIMAN

Home

Entkktainment
'^urcoK
RAVES

Musical discovery of
the month: “Beam Me
Aboard Mr Spock”,
an incredibly obscure 1973 glam track by one
Barry Rolfe: http://bit.ly/beamaboard
TASCHEN’s coffee table-crushingly gigantic 75
Years Of Marvel book arrived too late to review
in the appropriate year, unfortunately, but it’s a
gorgeous artefact.

Jordan
Farley

'^'tMMT'NTTY

£_itok

RAVES

Happy 2015! We get to
see new Star Wars and
Avengers films this year.

Best. Year. Ever.

After the latest demo. I’ll be counting down the
seconds until Uncharted 4 is in my hands.
RANTS

Krypton sounds spectacularly pointless.
f No more Orange Wednesday from Feb. Noooo!

Dave Bradley

Group Ed-in-Chtef

RAVES

Agents Of SHIELD is now
essential viewing, thanks
mostly to interesting
characters and a slightly
darker tone.

The BB-8 “ball droid” in the Star Wars trailer is a
real physical prop not CGI! But...

RANTS

...there’s almost a year to wait until we actually
get to see The Force Awakens. I’m already
planning when to start queuing.

Jon Coates

Art EuiTOR

RAVES

Mad Max: Fury Road
looks so exciting, and
utterly insane. Reserve
me a seat now!

The recent Bond
announcement did not disappoint. SPECTRE
is a cracking title and the casting of Christoph
Waltz is a great move. I can totally imagine him
as Blofeld. Here’s hoping...

RANTS

Wish the force could awaken a bit sooner!

Adrian Hill

RAVES

Well the end of the year
was big! December was a
heck of a month for new
trailers, that’s for sure.

Jurrasic World looks fun,
but Termiator: Genisys looks like a total rehash
if you ask me. Of course the biggest thing to
send the internet into meltdown was the new
Star Wars. Not bad for starters, but what really
got me super excited was the launch of 007.

I can’t wait to see SPECTRE, trailer or not.

KHIAN

Drinkwater

Freelance Writer
RAVES

t Loving the sheer amount
of comic-inspired TV on
at the moment. Arrow,

Gotham, The Flash,

Constantine, SHIELD... and it’s all so good!

Finally read Ancillary Justice and it’s brilliant.
RANTS

Changes to VAT rules are making it much harder
for authors to sell their ebooks direct from their
own websites. Google “VATmess” for the info.

v'lD West

vVriter

RAVES

Max Barry’s Lexicon is
easily one of my favourite
books this year. Smart,
emotionally engaging
science fiction and
tremendous prose. And still digging Patricia
Brigg’s Mercy Thompson series after charging
through Erost Burned.

RANTS

I’m lukewarm on Stephen King’s Revival. He’s
never dull, but it’s not one of his strongest.

Sarah Dobbs

RAVES

Just caught up on
American Horror Story-
Coven and it’s amazing
- smart and scary and
shocking, episode after
episode. Somehow it’s even made me into a
Fleetwood Mac fan. Can’t wait to see Freakshow.
RANTS

I can’t bring myself to get excited about Star
Wars: The Force Awakens yet. Even seeing the
Millennium Falcon hasn’t won me over. Bah!

Jayne Nelson

'Freelance T»^rtter

RAVES

t The second seasons of
Defiance and Agents
Of SHIELD have been
astonishing - both shows
have raised their game
so high it’s hard to believe they’re the same
programmes. Thank heavens they weren’t
cancelled after their wobbly starts and got
this second chance to shine! And elsewhere,
Supernaturafs tenth year has been a joy.
Long may they continue.

SFX Next issue on sale Wednesday 4 February 2015

Postal address: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BAl lUA Editorial email: sfx@futurenet.com

Customer services UK: 0844 848 28 52 International contact: +44 (0)1604 251 045
Subs info: visit myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx or check out page 34 for the latest offer.

T here’s always plenty of debate in the SFX office
about how sci-fi Janies Bond really is. Over the
years, 007 has flirted with gritty realism, all-out
fantasy and pretty much everything in between,
but he usually has at least one expertly shined
shoe in the genre camp. There’s absolutely no doubt
about the sci-fi credentials of Kingsman: The Secret
Service, however. Kick-Ass collaborators Matthew
Vaughn and Mark Millar have made an unabashed love
letter to the over-the-top Roger Moore era, in one of the
hottest action movies of the year. We speak to Vaughn,
Millar and stars Colin Firth and Taron Egerton about
reinventing the secret agent on page 46.

Kingsman is the among the first of many massive
movies and TV shows heading your way in 2015, in
what could well be the biggest year in sci-fi history. And
looking beyond Star Wars, Jurassic World, Avengers and
the rest, 2015 is a momentous year for SFX because we
turn 20. Yes, it was in May 1995 that the mag first landed
in the nation’s newsagents, and we’ll be doing plenty to
mark the occasion over the coming months.

But we’re not resting on our laurels as we approach
our third decade, and we want to know what you think
of the world’s number one sci-fi fantasy magazine.

Turn to page 25 to find out how you can take part in
our survey and be in with a chance of winning £200
of vouchers.

Richard Edwards,
@RichDEdwards

Editor

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

muEYmoN

"JAKES SEVERAL DISTURBING

A M IN D-BXPANDING FINALE ^

'A CHIt-LlNG LAYER OF REAL,
VERY H UM AN. ANXIETY".. '

■'■-■X.-'.:

FAHBOfllA.;

. - ROSE 'LESLIE;: ■
HARRY TREADAWAY

NE

after the [EREHDNV comes the

AFTER THE^CEREMO

COMES,

RED ALERT

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazin(

).uk/sfx

In association with

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THE FUTURE FIRST

edited by Jordan Farley

14 -

WAKEY

WAKEY

Investigating the
first trailer for
Star Wars: The
Force Awakens,

TINKER

TAYLOR

Eliza Taylor is
rebuilding
humanity in The
100 season two.

Between The Pines

The Sixth Sense director heads for the small
screen via a very strange American town...

DOG DAY
AFTERNOON

Rise Of The Planet
Of The Dogs in
Hungarian drama
White God,

N OW THAT DAVID LYNCH

has announced he’s returning to Twin
Peaks, we can probably expect a flood
of excursions to small American
towns where weird happenings are
the norm. Wayward Pines has got in there
early, however, having gone before the cameras
well before Lynch had given any inkling that
delicious cherry pie might be back on the
menu. Not that anyone’s trying to hide the
show’s influences... “We’re copying the shit out
of David Lynch,” laughs M Night Shyamalan,
the Sixth Sense/Unbreakable director who’s
making his first foray onto the small screen as
an executive producer and director on
Wayward Pines. “I’m super drawn to Twin

Peaks. I’m definitely a devotee of his right now.
When you watch the pilot, it’s so fricking
audacious. I can’t believe they let him do it.”

“I definitely understand why people
compare Wayward Pines to Twin Peaks,” adds
leading man Matt Dillon, “but I think it’s
different. I know the author of the book, Blake
Crouch, is a huge fan of that show, but he also
told me some of the inspirations for the book
were just his own imagination. One day he was
just walking down the street in this small town
in Colorado, and a phone rang - he created
this whole paranoid scenario in his mind that
the phone was signalling other people.”

Based on Crouch’s novel (simply called
Pines), the ten-part series centres on Dillon’s

SCI -FACT!

Wayward Pines will air in 125
countries on the same day -
the largest launch for
a scripted series ever.

SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES ....

M NIGHT
TELEVISION

After a career spent in
movies, Shyamalan says
the move to TV brought
him new challenges. “Obviously I’ve
been dealing with three-act
formats for so long in movies, but
networks have commercial breaks,
so there’s a five- or six-act structure
that they have per episode. That’s
a new thing I had to learn. Also, the
amount of material that you have
to put out there, and the amount
of time you have to do it is
incredible. I just can’t believe how
fast they do it. It’s unbelievable!’’

ON A BREAK

In American terms, a
ten-episode season is
fairly short. Even so,
Shyamalan put production on
hiatus halfway through to make
sure everyone was heading in the
right direction. “We put a gap in
the middle so I could stop
everything and recalibrate, edit,
talk to the actors, rewrite... We
started to get into the ‘we’ll figure
it out’ thing, and when too many of
those piled up, I said I thought it
would be wise if we took our time
to do it properly. It was six or eight
weeks, but it meant a lot. Fox were
super-accommodating for that.’’

BIG FISH

Shyamalan says he tried
to bring some of his
experience as a filmmaker
to the look of the show. “I said, ‘Are
you interested in having a cinema
aesthetic, in the sense of longer
takes and the kind of things we
bring to films?’ [Fox] were so
interested in bringing a different
tone to the piece, they wanted it to
be the thing that stands out about
it - you’re flipping channels and
you come to it. Its vocabulary is
instantly different. That really
excited me. They all sat across from
me and said, ‘That’s what we want,’
and that’s what they let us do.’’

ADAPTATION

Author Blake Crouch was
still working on his novel
when the show went into
production, so the writing became
a two-way process. “It was an
interesting opportunity because it
was kind of back and forth
between Blake and us going, ‘We’re
going to take your book, and this
many episodes will be about the
first book. This is where we’re
thinking of going.’ Fle’ll go, ‘Oh, I
was thinking about this... Maybe I’ll
put that in my book.’ Fie was really
gracious to let us develop this story
in organic ways. Fie couldn’t have
been a better collaborator.’’

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

In association with

www.whoshotjohii.co.uk

movie inspired clothing

RED ALERT

Wandering the
mean streets of
small town America.

Secret Service agent Ethan Burke, who goes
out looking for his missing partner Kate
Hewson (Carla Gugino), gets involved in a car
accident, and finds himself trapped in the
Idaho town of the title - think Doc Hollywood,
but more sinister. The locals are governed by
rules that say they mustn’t try to leave or ask
about the past, and they must always answer
the phone if it rings - looks like that “where
paradise is home” on the sign outside the town
would set alarm bells ringing at Advertising
Standards. Meanwhile, Burke’s wife and son
(Shannyn Sossamon and Charlie Tahan) try to
track him down in the outside world.

“The tone of the piece had a weird humour
about it,” says Shyamalan, “and a deep mystery
at its centre. It was where I wanted to be as a
storyteller, as long as there were answers to it.
That was the first thing I asked: Are there
answers to everything I’m reading here?’ When
I was told where it was going, I was like, T’m
in, I could definitely see how to tell that story.’”

“You don’t know if it’s supernatural,
psychological or science fiction,” explains Dillon.
“Ethan is questioning his own sanity. But it’s
more than that. It’s not just a story of a guy who’s
losing his mind, but it might appear that way.”

It turns out that Wayward Pines itself is
populated by a cast of Oscar and Golden Globe
winners and nominees, including Melissa Leo
(The Fighter), Terrence Howard (Iron Man),
Toby Jones (Captain America) and Juliette
Lewis (Natural Born Killers).

“I don’t think you can have an agenda for
getting a cast like this,” admits Shyamalan. “You
get lucky - the gods of storytelling allow it to
happen. It’s an honour, definitely, to have this
calibre of cast, but I was definitely pinching
myself. We got him? We got her? We got him?
We got her? It’s great. It’s a snowball effect,

I think. It starts to signal the integrity level.”

But the centre of the show is undoubtedly
Burke, whose relationship with his wife has
already been severely damaged by an affair
with Hewson, and who bears the scars of
mistakes made in the field. Shyamalan says

“I donY think you can
have an agenda for
getting a cast like tide”

the role was perfect for Dillon who, like the
filmmaker, was exploring new territory by
venturing onto TV.

“Matt Dillon’s very funny,” Shyamalan
reveals. “If you hang out with him and go to
dinner and drink with him, he’s drop dead
funny. He’s got this straight humour - he’ll say
something straight, and he’ll just crack up,
whether it’s really offensive or whatever. So
I brought a lot of that out in him, as he’s
expressing his version of: Why is everybody
acting so weird? You’re acting like a crazy
person!’ Getting those gestures, it’s very
natural from him. He has the physicality of
what we needed, but he can also do the
humour. The secret weapon of the show is
humour - at least as we start out.”

In a move that’s becoming increasingly
common on US TV, Wayward Pines has taken
a leaf out of the book Brits have been following
for years by starting out with a self-contained
short run of 10 episodes - which should
hopefully avoid any Lost-style efforts to
stretch things out indefinitely.

“Well, the beauty of the format - and I think
the beauty of Blake’s books - is that it’s a
beautiful story unto itself,” Shyamalan says.
“But we could do it again if we feel like it’s
appropriate and right. The way I approached
Unbreakable was the same. I wrote it and if I
felt like I wanted to do another one, one day.

I’ll do another one. This is that opportunity.

It’s contained enough that it’s a beautiful piece
that you could keep as those 10 episodes. But
maybe [we’ll go back], yeah.” ^2^

Wayward Pines comes to Fox in the UK and
US simultaneously on 14 May.

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PROJECT ALMANAC -

Back To The Future meets Chronicle
in new found footage film

SCIENCE FICTION

adventure. A found footage film.

A teen time travel story. Project
Almanac combines all three, but it
was the film’s basic coming-of-age
story that attracted first- time director Dean
Israelite to the $12 million project. “It was the
emotional core of the story that attracted me,
combined with a teenage adventure that
reminded me of The Goonies in terms of its
expansiveness and the imagination of the
young characters,” says Israelite. “It’s a
character- driven story that centres on a
group of teenage friends, and then we
introduce found footage and time travel, in
an unconventional way.”

The story follows a group of high schoolers,
led by David Raskin (Jonny Weston), a
brilliant teenager who discovers schematics
for a time machine left behind by his late
father. David and his friends build the time
machine, which they use to try and correct
mistakes in their pasts, resulting in various
complications for them in the present. “The
device of the time travel is tied thematically
into the protagonist’s journey,” explains
Israelite. “The adventure he goes on as a
result of time travel is what ultimately allows
him to come of age. I tried to make everything
feel as real and grounded as possible. In that
way, you would believe that this was a real kid
going through real teenage problems, and if
the time travel felt as authentic and grounded
as his life, if it didn’t feel like just another big
budget movie, with big budget visual effects,
then everything would fit together, tonally
and aesthetically.”

The film’s grounded approach is especially
evident in the time machine that David and
his friends construct in the story, which is a
synthesis of the imagination and spare parts
they have at their disposal. “They build the
time machine with all of the spare parts they
can find, like a graphics card from an Xbox,”
says Israelite. “They control the machine
with a smartphone, using a coded app they

“Ifs really a fun teenage
adventure, with some
darker elements”

created that can interface with it. The^m^cfifne
is mobile; it’s compact enough to fit into a’
backpack, so they can walk around with it
at school.”

Project Almanac’s offbeat assortment
of genre elements, and Israelite’s
inexperience, made the project a tough •'
sell for producer Brad Fuller, when he V /
approached Paramount Pictures with the
Andrew Deutschman/Jason Pagan script.

“I would describe Project Almanac as Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off and Weird Science meets
Chronicle,” says Fuller, a partner in Platinum
Dunes, the genre-themed production shingle
founded by Michael Bay. “It’s really a fun
teenage adventure, with some darker
elements that appear later in the story.
Paramount was wary of the project, and of
Dean, who impressed them with his detailed
storyboards, and with a sequence he shot from
the film. Michael has a strong relationship
with Paramount, and he wrote the executives
a letter saying he believed in the project, and
in Dean as director.”

Coming-of-age and time travel stories have
a universal appeal and Israelite believes that
Project Almanac will resonate with anyone
who’s ever been young and thirsted for
adventure. “The film is about how small
changes can have huge effects on who we
are and how we feel about ourselves,” says
Israelite. “We all know what it feels like to
go from boy to man or girl to woman -
the struggles, the lessons; the wonderment
that comes from that time in our lives.”

Project Almanac is released in UK cinemas
on 6 February.

Teenagers these days,
always standing in circles
in the woods. Get a job!

V . ' >

Tomorrow’s packed
iunch took a heck of
aiot ofpianning.

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

12

SFX

March 2015

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

SCI-FACT!

Dean Israelite is currently
in pre-production on a
WarGames remake.

DATA OW

Confirmed: Man Of
Steel prequel series
KRYPTON, about
Superman’s grandad,
underway at Syfy. David
S Goyer and
FlashForward’s Ian
Goldberg will write.

Cult CG animated
series REBOOT getting,
er, rebooted. The subtitle
is The Guardian Code.

Warren Ellis’ GLOBAL
FREQUENCY, about a
privately funded crime-
fighting syndicate,
snapped up by Warner
Bros TV.

“It’s a wrong move to take a
superhero and give it psychological
realism. There is no psychological
realism. He’s a bodybuilder who
jumps off buildings”

Prestige author Christopher Priest shows
Christopher Noian some tough iove.

ITV adapting
BEOWULF as a 13-part
series, produced by
Primeval’s Tim Haines.

Charlie Higson (above)
scripting a new, 10-part
JEKYLL AND HYDE
drama, also for ITV.

Sean Bean to star as
monster-hunting lawman
John Marlott in THE
FRANKENSTEIN
CHRONICLES for, you
guessed it, ITV.

Bond screenwriters Neil
Purvis and Robert Wade
adapting Len Deighton’s
alt-history spy novel
SS-GB for BBC One.

Channel 4 developing
half-hour comedy SPACE
ARK, set aboard the
titular interstellar vessel
six months after the end
the end of the world.

RED ALERT

MY SCI-FI I

Josie Long

The stand-up is a reformed comic
snob who likes deep space

FAVOURITE SF/FANTASY FILMS

I Guardians Of The Galaxy made me feel 12 years old.
Chris Pratt was incredible, and it looked beautiful,
and felt like it was written by people I’d get on with.
I’m glad there’s been a resurgence of big space films.

I enjoy anything with improbable space travel where
you’re overwhelmed by the size of the universe.

But I haven’t seen 200i, which is remiss of me.

FAVOURITE SF/FANTASY TV

I I loved Red Dwarf and Quantum Leap to the point
of obsession. All my Christmas presents were books
about one of them. I was in the fan club and bought
the Smegazine and for some reason loads of
greetings cards, which I didn’t send, just kept.

Later on I liked Sliders, which was like a low-rent
Quantum Leap.

FAVOURITE SF/FANTASY COMICS

1 1 was very snobby when I was a teenager about
superhero comics. I went down the indie route.

The exception was Alan Moore, where I’d be like
“No, Watchmen is art!” I know Alan - he’s kind
and a genius, and I think he’s one of the most
magical men alive.

FAVOURITE SF/FANTASY CHARACTER

I Clarisse from Fahrenheit 451 is this girl who Guy
meets who is unusual to him because she’s a free
thinker in a dystopian society. Her family don’t
watch telly, while everyone else does, and she walks
everywhere when nobody does - she’s just fucking
cool. I love that book.

Josie Long is touring her show Cara Josephine
across the country from 19 January.

See josielong.com for dates.

• “There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?” a voice asks
as the camera lingers on what appear to be Tatooine sand
dunes. Andy Serkis has since confirmed the trailer’s 15 words
are all spoken by his currently unknown character.

• Surprise! Twenty one seconds in we get our first look at a
face new to Star Warsas Jon Boyega’s Finn emerges from the
bottom of the frame. Is he an AWOL Stormtrooper? Or could he
be in disguise, like Han and Luke in A New Hopei

• At 23 seconds the infamous electronic warble of an Imperial
Probe Droid can be heard. Coupled with Boyega’s distressed
appearance it’s clear he’s on the run. The armour also has an
updated version of the classic Stormtrooper markings.

• ii Abrams abandons George Lucas’s classical camerawork for
Saving Private Ryan-esm shakycam in this sequence - apt as
the Stormtroopers are deployed at an unknown location like
the Allies at Hormandy. We’ve got a bad feeling about this.

• The second new face in this trailer belongs to Daisy Ridley’s
Rey. The shawl and headwear are reminiscent of Leia’s Endor
gear, and the goggles appear to be made from a salvaged
Stormtrooper visor.

• This vessel looks a little like Luke’s speeder turned on its side,
but more importantly has that chunky, down and dirty, used
future quality that was sorely missing from the prequels. Can’t
see the point in that tiny windshield though.

• Andy Serkis returns, mumbling “The dark side, and the light”
as we get our first glimpse at The Force Awakenf new Dark
Sider, Kyio Ren. Adam Driver seems like a safe bet for the man
in the cloak.

• The broadsaber doesn’t just have an extended handle/blade,
but a nifty crossguard too. The violently unstable plasma gives
the saber’s blades a flame-like appearance. Could it be the
work of a someone un-trained in the art of saber construction?

• After a brief fade to black the money shot in a trailer full of
them - the return of the Millennium Falcon; accompanied, of
course, by John Williams’ timeless fanfare. So this is what it
feels like to be 10 years old again.

THE BUZZ

I A work of
I genius. Okay, it
I tells you next
to nothing
I about the
movie, but this far out do
we really want all the
answers? From a swooping
Millennium Falcon to those
evocative sound effects,

JJ knows how to hit all the
right fan buttons - just
imagine what it’ll be like
when we get to see Luke,
Han and Leia in action...

DAVEB

Distinctly JJ
- just look at
the way the
camera twists
and turns in
the Millennium Falcon clip
- and packed with detail,
this is definitely the trailer
I was hoping for. Is it a
broadsaber or a trisaber?

I don’t care what we’re
calling it, I get
goosebumps each time I
see it power up. This film
can’t come soon enough.

Ma

JORDAN

^pi^B Any concerns I
had about The
^ Force Awakens

. after Star Trek
Into Darkness
left me cold were instantly
obliterated by this teaser.
Despite focusing on
exciting new faces it’s
already clear Episode VII
has original trilogy magic
running through its veins.
And damn if that
lightsaber isn’t the coolest
thing I’ve ever seen.

desert ■

I Tatooine dunes,
you look so
warm.

I Someone’s in
' trouble in the
■ sounds about
right. Loving the scenic
starfighter battle and the
new lightsaber, though
not sure how useful those
baby side handles are.
Then cue the Falcon, the
score, the goosebumps! I’d
definitely say a new hope
has awoken.

Ludicrously
exciting. There’s
a real elegance
to this trailer
- it ditches the
clutter of the prequels and
taps into the essence of
Star Wars. Some of the
images feel torn from a
lost portfolio of Ralph
McQuarrie concept art.

And the Falcon punching
into that dream-blue sky
as John Williams kicks in...
shivers in the Force!

IAN

I I’ve tried to
I avoid getting
, excited about
Episode VII
because I hated
the prequel trilogy... but
that did the job. The
mystery over Boyega’s
character is intriguing, the
balldroid is cute, and the
Stormtroopers look
awesome. Plus, with none
of the returning cast
featured we’ve still plenty
to look forward to. Sold!

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In association with

www.whoshotjohii.co.uk

movie inspired clothing

RED ALERT

THIS MONTH: we return to a galaxy far, far away with the first
teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

• This adorable ball droid is called BB-8, is rumoured to be the
property of Daisy Ridley’s character and, says Mark Hamill,
is a live-action prop. Hote the podracer-esque engine in the
background. Did the sport die out after Jabba’s demise?

• The new Stormtrooper helmets tally with previously leaked
concept art. But the big question is - what are Stormtroopers
still doing in a post Empire Galaxy? Are these the last remnants
or have they been adopted by the former Rebel Alliance?

• A blurry look at the Stormtrooper’s new blaster rifles, which
feature extensive white panels, three red lights (an ammo
gauge or a setting indicator?) and a scope similar to the one
atop Han’s blaster. Bet they’re still terrible shots though.

• Again, the smart money would say that this is Tatooine, with a
handful of sparse buildings and moisture vaporators visible in
the background. Rey most likely lives there, a farm girl at the
start of an epic journey, just like Luke.

• This partially concealed phizzog belongs to Oscar Isaac’s
Poe Dameron, who pilots one of the new-look X-Wings. The
heavily scuffed helmets have had an update too - but it seems
the Alliance is alive and well 30 years after Return Of The Jedi.

• A formation of X-Wings skim across the water’s surface on an
unknown planet. We don’t see a single scene set among the
stars in this trailer, quite deliberately no doubt. For the most
part it focuses on what’s new.

• The Falcon performs some impossible aerobatics through
clear blue skies. The ol’ rust bucket’s clearly been well cared
for since Jetli, with a new rectangular radar dish (after Lando
knocked the last one off) and clearer red markings on the top.

• Are Han and Chewie in the cockpit? Our hearts say yes. After
all, who else could play chicken with two Tie Fighters and
emerge unscathed? This sequence was filmed with IMAX
cameras to provide maximum visual wallop.

• So: has the dark side of the Force been slumbering since
Vader’s death? How is it returning now? At the trailer’s end the
sound of Luke’s lightsaber igniting can be heard. Is the light
side of the Force awakening too? All we know is we can’t wait.

SPOOF WARS

George Lucas

http://bit.ly/LucasSE

> This parody gives it the
George Lucas Speciai Edition
treatment, with ubiquitous CGi
creatures, Hayden Christensen’s
Force ghost and a screen fuii
of Tie Fighters. Briiiiant.

Wes Anderson

http://bit.ly/WesPresents

I What if Wes Anderson made
The Force Awakens? it’d have
moody French music, a muted
coiour paiette and humorousiy
dry text embiazoned across
the screen at every turn.

Disney

http://bit.ly/DisneyAwakens

I Disney may aiready be
making The Force Awakens,
but it couid have been much
worse if the iicensing
department had a say in things
- Goofy Troopers for a start.

I Of course there are severai
LEGO parodies. But our
favourite is Zach FB’s which is
exceptionaiiy weii put together
and recreates every shot from
the teaser brick for brick.

Michael Bay

http://bit.iy/BayWars

I imagine the most obnoxious
version of The Force Awakens
traiier possibie then muitipiy
by a miiiion and you have an
idea of what Michaei Bay’s fiim
might iook iike. Hiiarious.

Five of our favourite Force Awakens trailer parodies

http://bit.iy/ForceLego

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NAMELESS

Untitled Masterpiece

In Morrison’s words, the key phrase is ‘nothing is real’.
“In the third issue, the comic we think we’re reading
begins to change into something quite different,” he
teases. “There are sci-fi and thriller elements but
everything’s used in the service of unease and dread.

I’d say it’s more of a horror comic than anything else,
touching on all the various aspects of the genre from
apocalyptic, supernatural, occult stuff to squicky
gross-out scenes, existential soul-freezing nihilism
and quasi-religious, sweat-inducing visions of hell
and judgement.”

Compared to Benedict Cumberbatch’s
Sherlock, Morrison claims that his mysterious
protagonist is closer in spirit to James McAvoy’s
misanthropic policeman in Filth. “Part of the
driving force of the series involves setting up a
character type and situation that you think you’re
familiar with - a scuzzy Constantine occult hero
facing an Armageddon- style scenario - but then
dismantling that first impression in various cruel and
horrific ways,” he says. “He’s also the first Scottish lead in
a comic I’ve written since Captain Clyde in 1981!”

Nameless’s creator- owned status also allowed Burnham
- known for his experimental layouts - to really cut loose.
“Where Batman Incorporated was fairly down to earth,
this goes to a much more squirmy, psychedelic place,”
says Morrison. “It’s also uncensored, so we’re
showcasing the phantasmagoric side of what
Chris can do.”

Nameless is published on 3 February.

Grant Morrison prepares to unleash
unspeakable horror on the planet

W HAT’S IN A NAME?

Everything and nothing, according to
Grant Morrison. Stuck on what to call
his new Image series with his old
Batman Incorporated foil Chris
Burnham, the Glasgow comics legend realised
that his problem was actually a solution.

“It had no name, therefore Nameless it
became,” he says. “Nameless is, of course, a
much-loved word among horror writers who
often invoke nameless rites and nameless
ones, so it brought that hint of Lovecraft that
we were looking for and it inspired a great
hook for our lead character and what
happens to him.”

Admitting that he “genuinely wouldn’t
recommend it to anyone who’s feeling emotionally or
psychologically vulnerable,” the six-parter could be
Morrison’s bleakest work yet. Centring around a
mission to save the Earth from an approaching
asteroid, it embarks on a similar but far darker
journey to Interstellar. “In Nameless, what’s out
there waiting for us is nothing less than
pure evil and undying hate,” explains
Morrison. “Cosmic rays and wormholes are
the least of our characters’ worries.”

Illuminating Company

Frey and Spielberg go steampunk down under

• HAS THERE EVER BEEN A REALLY GOOD
steampunk movie or TV show? Harking back to
William Gibson and Bruce Sterling’s The Difference
Engine, the appeal of the retro-futuristic subgenre
has mostly been dominated by novels over the
past few decades. But now Lumen - James Frey’s
new pilot for Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television
- is propelling it into unprecedented territory on
the small screen.

“Steampunk is cool!’’ the Endgame author tells
Red Alert. “You only have to go to Comic-Con and
see all the people in steampunk costumes to know
how popular it is. Nobody has really done anything
like this before, so if it works it’ll be awesome!’’

Directed by Joe Johnston (Captain America: The

First Avenger) and starring Parenthood’s Sam
Jaeger, it follows 16-year-old Charlie, whose
determination to discover why his favourite
fantasy author has inexplicably disappeared
unwittingly embroils his family in a timeless
mystical battle. “We were trying to come up with
an idea for a show for Amblin and we thought of
this magical world,’’ Frey explains. “But if you even
begin to go into the idea of a magical world, you
soon realise that everything has already been
done before. So we imagined a steampunk world
where instead of electricity, magic is the primary
source of power.’’

But while most steampunk stories are invariably
set in a version of Victorian London, Lumen will

shoot in Auckland.

“They’ve built some pretty astonishing
facilities there,’’ claims Frey. “There are only a few
places in the world where you can shoot
something as effects-heavy as a steampunk show
and there’s a whole bunch of crew who know how
to do that kind of world-building.’’

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© REX (1)

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Eliza Taylor

The Aussie actress trying to
reboot humanity in the second
season of The 100

REVOLUTIONARY LEADER

I “I think that Clark is a strong female character and it’s not often you
get to play that when you’ve got blonde hair and blue eyes. So I was
drawn to the Katniss vibe. Also the pilot was written like a feature film
and I wanted to know what happens next. I wanted to keep reading
and that is a good sign.”

THE FIGHT STUFF

I “Clark’s gone Jason Bourne. She’s turned into such a fighter. I’m
trying to be [more like her] by going to the gym as much as possible
and getting in touch with some pretty raw emotions but it can be
challenging at times. A lot of the body language has been interesting
for me to not look as girlie. I noticed when I watched earlier episodes
something would happen and I would go, Tw!’ Now I try to stand
stronger and make my movements more calculated to be able to fight.”

TIME FOR LOVE?

> “I don’t think the story is going in that direction because they don’t
want it to be a typical CW show and I’m okay with that. But I think the
dynamic between Bellamy (Bob Morley) and Clark is interesting so I
would like to see where that goes. But they won’t tell me if that’s
going to happen.”

POST-APOCALYPTIC PRESSURE COOKER

I “I think she handles everything really, really gracefully for being such
a young girl and having so much thrown at her. She keeps the same
goal in mind which is survive, survive, survive. I do think there are
times when she does catch herself and think, ‘Look at what I’ve
become. This was not a part of the plan.’ But she just has to push
forward and I think she does that really, really well.”

LOST IN TRANSLATION

I “The American accent isn’t an issue. I have my moments but for the
most part I have been doing it for a long time. I used to teach the
American dialect when I was an out of work actor/drama teacher so
it was something I studied and it’s ingrained. I don’t have to think
about it too much.”

The 100 season two starts
on E4 on Tuesday 6 January.

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In association with

RED ALERT

NEW AUTHOR

Francesca Haig

Tasmanian poet steps into the
world of dystopian fiction

AERIAL

ASSAULT

SHOWRUNNING

CONTINUUM (above)
renewed for a fourth and
final season. Meanwhile,
season three airs on Syfy
UK from 28 January.

THE RENDLESHAM UFO INCIDENT

Translation rights for the
book have been sold to
over 20 countries.

Into The
Woods

UK’s Area 51 inspires
East Anglian scare show

In the least surprising
news of the month,
AGENTS OF SHIELD
showrunners Jed
Whedon and Maurissa
Tancharoen have
confirmed that Avengers:
Age Of Ultron will
impact the Marvel show.

CONSTANTINE fails to
pick up a full season
order. Anyone know an
anti-cancellation spell?

THE LEFTOVERS
getting a soft reboot for
season two, with a
largely new cast (though
Justin Theroux will stay
on) and a new setting.

SUPERNATURAL
season nine airing on E4

HEN DANIEL SIMPSON MOVED

to Suffolk, he didn’t expect to find the subject
for his next film literally on his doorstep.

But the London-born director was living on
the edge of the Rendlesham Forest, which in
1980 was the site of several sightings of unexplained lights
and the supposed landing of an extraterrestrial craft.

“As a filmmaker, I’ve always wanted to make a UFO
film,” he tells Red Alert. “It seemed like the obvious thing
to do. I also wanted to make a film about treasure hunters,
so I just combined the two things together.”

Renowned as “Britain’s version of Roswell,” the incident
provides the impetus for The Rendlesham UFO Incident,
although the terrifying events have been updated to the
present day. “We couldn’t really make a film based on that
now because it would become a period
piece,” he says. “We had to come up with
something else that would tie in, so we
concocted our own story about these
ordinary people coming to the forest.

“This is a small English film and at the
heart of it is this weird old Britain, which
in a way is to do with things like The
Wicker Man, and there’s also Morris
dancers. As it goes on, it just gets more
and more strange. You’re not immersed in
a big science fiction world; you’re in a
forest and there are these lights...”

The Rendlesham UFO Incident is in select UK cinemas on
6 February and is available on DVD from 9 February.

SCI-FACT!

The movie rights for The
Fire Sermon have already
been snapped up by
DreamWorks.

WHAT WOULD YOU WRITE AS THE FIRE SERMON’S COVER RLURR?

I They were born together and they will die together.
One strong Alpha twin, one mutated Omega; the
only thing they share is the moment of their death.
The Omegas live in segregation, cast out by their
families and ruthlessly oppressed by their Alpha
counterparts. The Alphas are the elite. Once their
weaker twin has been cast aside, they’re free to live
in privilege and safety. Cass and Zach are both
perfect on the outside: no visible Omega mutation.
But Cass has a secret - one that Zach will stop at
nothing to expose.

HOW LONG DID YOU WORK ON THE BOOK?

I For years and years - at first, just in fits and spurts,
as a bit of a fun side-project. Then for a year or two
I concentrated on it more seriously.

HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT BUILDING THE WORLD OF
THE FIRE SERMON?

I There was no “eureka!” moment. It all grew
organically from the idea of twins with a fatal bond.
From that central hook I had to go back and think,
how did they arrive in this state, how would they
deal with this genetic mutation?

HOW MUCH RESEARCH DID YOU HAVE TO DO?

I Not very much! The mechanics of the scientific
aspects didn’t grab me - it was the human
consequences. If you write a novel about a class
of people that live off another class of people,
you’re going to be thinking about parallels in
our real world.

WHICH SF/FANTASY AUTHORS WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE
COMPARED TO IN A DREAM REVIEW?

I Cormac McCarthy for his stark, indelible vision;
Laini Taylor, for her lyrical language; and Philip
Pullman, for his philosophical acuity.

The Fire Sermon is published on 26 February.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

HAMMER

Hammer Time

The horror house shows no
signs of slowing down...

The man with
the Hammer.

• HAMMER HIT A HOME RUN WITH 2012’S THE
Woman In Black, which established the resurgent
company as a force to be reckoned with. Speaking
with Simon Oakes, the man who calls the shots, it is
clear there is no looking back.

“I think it is our responsibility to do the right thing
with this brand and not just repeat the past,” he
begins. “That has been a little controversial because
there are still some people wishing we could do new
Dracula and Frankenstein films. But I tell them, ‘that
was then and this is now.’ There is a contemporary
Hammer version of Dracula, Frankenstein and The
Mummy waiting to be made - but the question is
how we find our way into that.”

While some of the studio’s old favourites will not,
therefore, be reappearing anytime soon, Oakes does
admit that he has dug into the Hammer library for a
couple of forthcoming frighteners...

“We are doing a new Abominable Snowman
movie,” he reveals. “But this is a totally new version
that is designed to thrill a modern audience. And we
are also developing Quatermass for the BBC. Nigel
Kneale’s vision of a dystopian world is, I think, still
powerful today. The original show was a metaphorical
tale about the Cold War, so we are working on how
to make Kneale’s unique blend of science fiction and
science fact relevant to our own troubled times.”

The Woman In Black 2: Angel Of Death is in
cinemas now.

AERIAL
ASSAULT

CASTING GALL

Marvel and Netflix have
found their JESSICA
JONES. Breaking Bad’s
Krysten Ritter (above) wiii
piay the PTSD-suffering
superhero who opens a
detective agency.

Mark Hamiii to reprise
his roie as The Trickster
in THE FLASH. He first
starred as the mass-
murdering con artist in
the 1990 Flash series.

Wiiiiam Shatner to piay
a “pivotai” roie in the
second haif of HAVEN
season five. He’ii appear
in a four-episode arc.

Beastmaster and V’s
Marc Singer joins the cast
of ARROW as Generai
Matthew Shrieve, the
human ieader of the
Creature Commandos.

Lost Girl’s Ksenia Soio,
Intruders’ James Frain
and War Of The Worlds’
Justin Chatwin have aii
joined the cione ciub for
ORPHAN BLACK’S
upcoming season three.

Once and future king
Bradiey James nabs the
deviiish titie roie in
Lifetime’s OMEN sequei
series, Damien.

Mad Men’s January
Jones and Flight Of The
Conchord’s Kristen Schaai
have joined Wiii Forte
comedy THE LAST MAN
ON EARTH.

“I love Batman so dearly... If I
saw Christian Bale going
through the shopping mall, like
in that scene on the Batmobile,
I would have thrown my
underwear at him”

Reason #1086 Jennifer Lawrence is awesome:
she’s the world’s biggest Dark Knight fan.

SCI -FACT!

In 1971 Hammer was
developing Zeppelin Vs
Pterodactyls. Sadly it never
made it into production.

THE IRON GHOST

Promise

Fulfilled

Three’s company in the
Copper Promise follow-up

J EN WILLIAMS RETURNS TO THE

world of her epic fantasy debut novel, The Copper
Promise, in February with the publication of The Iron
Ghost, continuing the adventures of heroes-for-hire
Wydrin, Frith and Sebastian.

This time the trio accepts what they think is a simple
snatch-and-grab job to retrieve a stolen item from the city
of Skaldshollow. “However, they quickly find themselves in
a steaming pile of trouble as they’re dropped into the
middle of a spiritual war where no one is telling the whole
truth; the stones walk, and there is dark magic in the hills,”
says Williams, who is clearly very fond of her three
protagonists. “I’ve never had to agonise too much over what
Wydrin might say in any given situation - often something
inappropriate - or how Frith would react when a situation
gets out of hand - he will usually manage to make it worse
- because they feel very real in my head,” she says. “To be
fair, all three had their blueprints in classic fantasy
archetypes - the likeable rogue, the man bent on revenge,
the honourable warrior - but hopefully given depths that

move them past the archetypes and
into something more modern.”

As much as Williams likes her
creations, she’s still going to put
them through the wringer. “The
Iron Ghost was harder to write
from an emotional standpoint
because it takes the characters to
some dark places,” she says. “The
threat in the first book - giant
god of destruction, army of
bloodthirsty minions - was very
large and obvious. In the second
book, the threats are a lot more
personal, and potentially a lot more damaging.”

The Iron Ghost haunts good bookstores from 26 February.

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

POWER.

INTRIGUE.

RETURN TO LANDFALL FOR
A BRAND NEW ADVENTURE.

Pick up or download your copy today

That was either a big
bucket of fairy dust or
one massive wave.

SCI-FACT!

A Peter Pan musical aired in
the US last month starring
Christopher Walken
as Hook.

SPOTLIGHT

JM Barrie’s eternal child gets the
prequel treatment in Joe Wright’s Pan

THE WRIGHT STUFF

I The little boy who never grew up is getting
his childhood fleshed out, exploring how he
got to Neverland, became leader of the Lost
Boys and made his acquaintance with a
certain mono-handed sea captain. The man in
the director’s chair is - perhaps unexpectedly
- Joe Wright, though anyone who saw his
imaginative Anna Karenina will know he’s got
the chops for a sumptuous period piece.

PAN-TASTIG LEADING MAN

I Wright’s biggest casting headache initially
seemed to be finding an unknown to carry the
movie, with Wright eventually finding young
Levi Miller after a looong search. In the midst
of WWII, the baby Peter is dumped at a grim
Kathy Burke-run orphanage by his mysterious
mum (Amanda Seyfried), who abandons
him with a panpipe chain around his neck.

It’s from this drab reality that the born
rabble-rouser finds himself being Shanghai-ed
off to the second star to the right and straight
on till morning, courtesy of a flying ship
run by a nefarious pirate...

HUGE ACTION

I ...but not that pirate. Pan’s big bad is in fact
Blackbeard, who’s been busy plucking war
orphans from their beds to work as slave
labour in Neverland. This is Hugh Jackman in
gloriously OTT, moustache-twirling mode,
giving it two barrels of camp theatrics - rather
reminiscent of his thesping doppelganger
from The Prestige - with a suitable underscore
of louche menace. Quality wiggage too.

OFF THE HOOK?

I But what of Captain James Hook?

Well, the foppish future friend of crocodiles
is in the mix too, played by Garrett Hedlund
although he’s neither hooked nor a captain
yet. In fact he’s an Indiana Jones-esque
adventurer who Peter meets at Blackbeard’s
mining camp. The two manage to strike up a
firm friendship, with Hook aiding Peter’s
escape, although perhaps by the end of the
movie this kinship might find itself severed...
probably somewhere near the left wrist,
if we were
to guess.

GOING NATIVE

I In the end, Wright’s biggest casting headache
has been Tiger Lily - the princess of the
colourful native tribe that Peter and Hook
stumble upon who discovers something
special about that panpipe trinket. Given
Pan-creator JM Barrie’s un-PC depiction of
the tribe - called *cough* the Pickaninny - it’s
kicked up a big stink to have porcelain-
skinned Rooney Mara play the part.

LOST ON THE WAY

I Peter Pan fans will be cheered to find much
familiar. Mermaids will be encountered -
played by Cara Delevingne - while you can
expect Blackbeard’s comeuppance at the
finale to result in lots of orphan children with
no particular place to go. What can we call
them? Who will lead them? Sequel, anyone?

WHEN TO EXPECT IT?

I Pan arrives in 2D and 3D on
17 May 2015.

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

NGEAI^

S COMING

www.golI anc zxo,u k

The second book in the Reckoners series from
Sunday Times Bestselling Author Brandon Sanderson.

PICK UP OR DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY TODAY

pursued by catchers, before Hagen himself is forced into
the cruel world of dog fighting - a traumatic experience
that ends up twisting his sweet nature.

All of which, of course, is delivered with kitchen-sink
reverence. But that’s before Hagen, pushed to the brink by
humanity, ignites a dog pound into a full-on pulp -horror
revolution - complete with paw prints of blood and “he’s
behind you!” scares. It’s a chaotic sequence that,
Munduczo says, was inspired by childhood favourite
Jurassic Park and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.

To visualise such a revolution, however, Mundruczo
had to direct with a record-breaking 254 dogs throughout
White God - all of which won it the alternative “Palm Dog
Prize” at Cannes last year.

“It required a lot of patience,” he laughs. “We shot 55
days but I think 40 of those were just with the dogs. Like,
there was one shot where all the dogs are meant to be
breaking out of a dog pound and it was perfect but then
there was just this one dog who decided to stay back.
There was a lot of that. I think we have 250 hours of
material for a two -hour film!” ^2^

White God is released on 27 February.

Step aside apes, the dogs
are revolting in Hungary

E very dog has its day, but not

quite the same day as White God’s Hagen, who leads
the dogs of Budapest in an uprising against
humanity - a comment, director Kornel Mundruczo
says, on rising intolerance in Eastern Europe.

“This film is about minority. Not just about dogs as a
minority but using them as a metaphor for the way we
treat gypsies and Jews in Hungary. In the last ten years,
with the rise of the extreme right, Europe has started to
forget and repeated the same stories somehow. This film
is repeating something that happened already but in a
different form. It’s very dangerous to forget our history.”

Hagen, played by canine twins Luke and Body, gets
separated from his I4-year-old owner Lili (Zsofia Psotta)
after her dog-hating father throws him out. It is a film of
“many genres” according to Mundruczo, but is divided
into two sections. The first is that of Hagen’s harsh time
on the streets, where he and other hungry stray dogs are

Barack Obama was given a
copy of The Witcher by former
Polish Prime Minister Donald
Tusk in June 2014.

WHITE GOD

Woofolution

Magic Hour

Geralt of Rivia’s story
reaches an epic climax

• IF YOU’RE ANYTHING LIKE US CHANCES ARE
you still haven’t left the Hinterlands in Dragon Age:
Inquisition, which is why it’s probably good news
that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt \Nas recently delayed
till May. But worry not, fantasy RPC fans, the final
chapter of Geralt’s story will be worth the wait.

“This time we wanted to focus more on the
personal life of Geralt, on his relations with his
loved ones,’’ says CD Projekt Red’s Marcin Momot.
“That being said, it’s not a love story and Geralt will
have to face an evil more brutal than anything he
faced in the past - the Wild Hunt.’’

As well as shifting the focus from the politics of
the Witcher’s unnamed continent to Geralt himself.
The Witcher 3 Introduces a colossal open world
20% bigger than Skyrim, where 80 unique
monsters can be tracked and slain.

“It was natural for us to move to an open world
after The Witcher 2," Momot explains. “It enables
players to travel and explore.’’

As before, the moral choices Geralt faces won’t
always be black and white. “Sometimes you will
see the consequences of your decisions right after
making a choice,’’ says Momot. “But your actions
will have repercussions throughout the whole
game, most notably at the end.’’

After almost a decade telling Geralt’s story CD
Projekt Red have chosen to go out on a high.
“Every epic story should have an epic finale! We
don’t want to milk gamers and make a million
games about Geralt so people hate him, instead of
feeling excited to play the games.’’

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is released on PS4, Xbox
One and PC on 19 May.

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SPOT WHEELS

It’s less than five years until real life catches up with Blade Runner's 2019 LA,
and the chances of the road being filled with flying cars before then is looking
increasingly unlikely. Comfort yourself with Renaud Marion’s A/rDA'/Ve - a retro-
futuristic photo series, now on exhibition in Switzerland, or available to buy online.
The neat twist here: while their engines may be powered by future tech, the cars are
based on iconic retro automobiles including Jaguars, Aston Martins and Porsches.
For more information visit http://bit.ly/AirDrive.

NEVERENDINGART

® With the endless remakes, reboots and sequels churned out by

Hollywood every year it’s only a matter of time before someone decides
to bring back The NeverEnding Story. And if it looks anything like Nicolas
Francoeur’s stunning concept art for a dark and gritty reimagining of the 1984
family favourite we’re fully on board. Atreyu and Artax are pictured here.

Head to www.vorace-art.com to check out the rest.

JUDGEMENT DAY

Ever wanted to get into Dredd but had no drokking idea
v!_ where to start? Well good news, a brand new Mega
Collection of the iconic lawman’s most exciting stories launches this
month. Published fortnightly in special edition hardback format, the
80-issue partwork groups Dredd’s tales thematically, from the
Democracy storylines to the Mega Epics. Think you’ve seen it all
before? Every issue of the Mega Collection features exclusive
collectable cover designs and is packed with previously unseen
bonus features, cover galleries and concept sketches - including
this Judge Dredd: Debris cover, pencilled by Lee Garbett.

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

In association with

www.whoshotjohii.co.uk

movie inspired clothing

AFTERLIFE iH

Gigi Edgley

Chiana in Farscape

ULTITALENTED

Australian actress Gigi Edgley (www.
gigiedgley.com) is a woman of many
abilities: dancer, recording artist and
proficient fire-twirler. But she’s still
probably best known for her role as Chiana,
monochrome- skinned Moya crew member, across
all four seasons of Farscape (and the Peacekeeper
Wars mini- series). She recently hosted reality series
Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge on Syfy. Next
up, she’s set to play X, an online celebrity lost in a
world of modern technology, in Hashtag, a
thought-provoking crowd-funded short film.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY CHIANA AGAIN?

I Yes, absolutely. In a heartbeat. She was such an
amazing character. I was a baby when they asked me
to come onto the set of Farscape. I didn’t want to be
a human wearing alien make-up, I wanted to create
a character that fitted into the world of Jim Henson.
So I went all out, made these crazy movements and
really wanted to explore the alien side of life.

WHAT’S THE STRANGEST REQUEST YOU’VE HAD FROM A FAN?

I I’ve never really had anything that odd. I get so
excited half the time that I fan out more on them
and they end up having to walk away from me,
because I end up telling them my life story and
they’re like, “Okay, we want to go see the Incredible
Hulk now.”

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU THINK WAS UNFINISHED ABOUT
GHIANA’S STORY?

I when I was working on Jim Henson’s Creature
Shop Challenge Brian Henson showed me a yellow
envelope and he said, “Guess what this is?” And I
went, “What?” And he said, “The script for the
Farscape movie.” And I went “[gasp]! Give it to me
now!” And he said, “No, it’s not finished.” So I do
know it does exist. I don’t know if it’s ever going to
happen, or who’s involved, but I did almost touch it!

DID YOU GET ANY SOUVENIRS FROM THE SET?

I I got a set of the contact lenses and the furry boots
that I wore in [season four episode] “John Quixote”.
I’ve had interesting things brought up to me at
signings though, and I’m like, “Where on earth did
you get that?”

WHAT WOULD IT SAY ON GHIANA’S GRAVESTONE?

I I’m not dead yet!

RED ALERT

SOMETHING COMING THROUGH

Dependence

Day

T

BBC Worldwide and
Paramount opening a £2
billion theme park in
2020. The Kent
attraction will feature
rides based on
Paramount franchises
(STAR TREK) and BBC
shows (DOCTOR WHO).

The first full-length,
British sci-fi film, A
MESSAGE FROM MARS,
restored by the BFI.

World’s first officially
licensed BATMOBILE
sold at auction for
$137,000.

BILL AND TED to
return in a new Boom!
Studios comic series.

THE WALKING DEAD
season five pulls in the
highest overnight ratings
in Fox UK’s history.

New LETHBRIDGE-
STEWART novel series
to launch in February.

Dan Abnett penning
new fantasy trilogy THE
WIELD for Gollancz.

Joss Whedon speaks
out against “remastered”
BUFFY re-runs in the US,
saying “widescreen
Buffy is nonsense”.

BBC Three online not
commissioning genres
like drama, docs and
comedy, but shows
branded “MAKE ME
LAUGH” and “MAKE ME
THINK”. So drama docs
and comedy then? Look,
we’re confused too.

“I would love to do a superhero
movie! The problem is I don’t want
to he the girlfriend. I don’t want to
be the daughter. I want to wear a
fucking cool costume, with a scar
on my face, with fight scenes”

We like the sound of Jessica Chastain’s superhero.

SCI -FACT!

Chiana was set to appear in
only one Farscape episode,
but quickly became a
regular.

Paul McAuley’s
tale of strangely
friendly ETs

HE STARTING POINT WAS

wondering what’d happen sociologically in
terms of changing technology and attitudes, if
suddenly supposedly benevolent aliens
arrived and said, ‘We’re here to help you,”’
says Paul McAuley. The award-winning writer is
poised to unveil the first of a two-part adventure
when Something Coming Through lands in February.

McAuley’s aliens, who offer mankind access to 15
other planets as part of their galactic aid package,
are dubbed the Jackaroo, but he’s not giving much
else away. “I decided that they’d be fantastically
enigmatic and deliberately wouldn’t answer
questions about who they were and why they were
helping,” he says. “With most aliens in SF the
interesting thing about them isn’t how different they
are but actually how similar they are. All the most
famous aliens, like Mr Spock, have human attributes
that we can recognise. I thought, ‘Let’s go for some
that don’t really have anything
you can grasp.’ You don’t even
see them. They just appear
through these hollow
plastic-shelled mannequins
that can assemble themselves
out of air and water, then
disassemble.”

The story’s human stars
are Vic Gayle, a Birmingham
policeman who’s emigrated
to Mangala, one of the
worlds opened up by
the Jackaroo, and
twentysomething
Londoner Chloe Miller. “She
gets caught up in a search for
a teenager and his sister who
seem to be on the run from
something and also seem to
be possessed by a fragment
of alien intelligence,” says
McAuley. Meanwhile, Gayle
conducts a murder
investigation tied to an
ancient alien artefact... “Very
slowly the two protagonists
and the two story strands move towards each other.”

Something Coming Through is out on 19 February.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

mCKS£TCHFi£W'S

DEVELOPMENT HELL

Your monthly glimpse into Hollywood’s hoped-for future

WATER GUY!

AQUAMAN

I So just which incarnation of
Aquaman will splash on to the big
screen? The clean-cut, porpoise-
riding golden boy of the Silver
Age? The scuzzier, hook-handed
^ anti-hero of the ’90s? Or the guy
I whose credibility in superhero
g club was fatally torpedoed by all
those gags in Entourage? Star

< Jason Momoa has no doubt.

m This King of Atlantis “will be a
o bad-ass - otherwise they wouldn’t

< cast me for the role.” And he has a

CL

U point. 6’4” and 235 lb of point.

^ Momoa reveals that he’s
• contracted for no less than four

films as the maritime monarch.
And if that includes Batman V
Superman and Justice League Parts
1 and 2 then an Aquaman sequel
may be a whole other discussion...
Momoa wants Zack Snyder to
helm this solo adventure but word
is indie director Jeff Nichols
(Take Shelter, Mud) is the favoured
pick of Warner Bros.

FORD ON BOARD!

BLADE RUNNER 2

I Ridley Scott is clearly having
one hell of an interior monologue.
Reports of him bailing on directing
duties for the Blade Runner sequel
were premature, it seems - turns

out he’s still in an active state of
prevarication. “I don’t know yet,”
he tells Yahoo. “The script is very,
very good... It’s a hard one to track
because it’s a very personal piece
of my work.” Definitely back for a
bowl of radiation-soaked sushi is
original star Harrison Ford,
returning as Rick Deckard. “I sent
him [the script]”, says Scott, “and
he said, ‘That’s the best thing I’ve
ever read.’” Official: Blade Runner 2
screenplay better than Star Wars
Holiday Special. Scott also drops
some spoilers about Deckard’s
involvement in the story: “It all
makes sense in terms of how it
relates to the first one,” he tells

Variety. “Harrison is very much
part of this one, but really it’s
about finding him. He comes
in in the third act.”

BLOCKBUSTER!

MINECRAFT

I Ah, creative differences.

Where would we be without
them? Watching Shawn Levy’s
Goonzes- style take on Minecraft,
that’s where. The Night At The
Museum helmer has dropped out
of the movie adaptation of the
monstrously addictive videogame
- and he’s taken writers Kieran
and Michele Mulroney with him.
“Warners asked me to develop how

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

r

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES!

SUICIDE SQUAD

I It may sound like a particularly improbable instalment of SFX’s very
own Wishlist but it’s legit: Warner has revealed the cast of Suicide Squad,
the movie set to smush the villains of the DC Universe into one giant,
pulsating mass of bad-assery, anti- social tendencies and psychosis.
Leading the team of black-ops bad guys is Tom Hardy as mentally
unstable combat specialist Rick Flagg. Also drafted for this covert
mission is Will Smith as master assassin Deadshot, Divergent’s
Jai Courtney as Boomerang and Carla Delevingne as the sorcerously-
inclined Enchantress. Hipster Jesus-a-like Jared Leto is cinema’s new
Joker with The Wolf Of Wall Street’s Margot Robbie as his adoring
cutie-nut Harley Quinn. The studio is still to cast the crucial role of
Amanda Waller, the squad’s handler, but we hear Oprah Winfrey, Viola
Davis and Octavia Spencer are in contention. And what a death-match
that would be. Filming begins in Toronto this April.

might this ever be a story for a
movie, because it’s not a narrative
game,” Levy tells the Wall Street
Journal. “We came up with an
approach that felt good to us and I
discussed it with Mojang, the game
makers who make Minecraft, and
they were like, that doesn’t sound
like what we want if we’re gonna
see a movie get made. I think
Mojang is still figuring out what
they want. We gave it a shot and it
wasn’t the right fit, and so these
things happen.” Time to respawn...

THE IMPDRTANGEDF BEING ERNST!
SPECTRE

I Be warned, world powers. The
Special Executive for Counter-
Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge
and Extortion (with a diabolical
sideline in iffy acronyms) is back in
business. Yes, as its title ever so
subtly hints, 007 is about to
confront the power of SPECTRE
for the first time since I97I’s
Diamonds Are Forever (listen
closely and you can hear shares in
Quantum plummeting). Now you
might imagine that cast member
Cbristopb Waltz might be the
perfect person to bring some
creepy teutonic menace to the role
of cat- fondling megalomaniac
Ernst Stavro Blofeld but he’s
having none of it. Waltz insists he’s
playing a character named Franz
Oberhauser. “That’s a fact.

I can guarantee,” he tells Screen
Crush. Has he heard the Blofeld
rumblings? “Yeah, yeah. I have.

The character is called Franz
Oberhauser. F-R-A-N-Z,
Oberhauser, and I don’t need to
spell that.” He doesn’t tolerate
failure, you know...

KING SIZE!

THE STAND

I At 1152 pages Stephen King’s
post-apocalyptic chiller The Stand

is a serious shelf-buckler of a book.
Now comes word that Hollywood
is slicing it into no less than four
movies (well, if Peter Jackson can
turn 368 pages of The Hobbit into a
trilogy...). And that’s just as much
of a surprise to writer/director
Josb Boone. “I sold them [Warner
Bros] on a three-hour movie,” the
Fault In Our Stars helmer tells the
Hollywood Babble-On podcast.
“They came back and said. Would
you do it as multiple films?’ and I
said. Tuck, yes!’ I loved my script
and I was willing to drop it in an
instant because you’re able to do
an even truer version that way...
We’re going to do The Stand at the
highest level you can do it at, with
a cast that’s going to blow people’s
minds.” The first instalment aims
to enter production this spring.
Just think of that deluxe box set.

DDT DF THE CHAIR...

STAR TREK 3

I Captain’s log. Stardate 2015.

The Enterprise has encountered a
cosmic phenomenon Mr Spock has
identified as “A right wobble.”

Yes, just when it seemed the
reborn Trek franchise was
engaging thrusters for next year’s
golden anniversary comes word
that helmer Bob Orci is off the
movie (in Starfieet parlance this is
known as violating the prime
director). Whispers insist
Paramount wasn’t happy with
Orci’s choice of script - set to
include a celebratory cameo by
William Shatner. The studio’s
shortlist of replacement helmers is
said to include Rupert Wyatt
(Rise Of The Planet of The Apes),
Mortem Tyldum (The Imitation
Game), Duncan Jones (Moon)

- who’s already ruled himself out

- Daniel Espinosa (Safe House)
and Justin Lin from the Fast And
Furious franchise.

BENEDICT

CUMBERBATCH

confirmed for Marvel’s
Doctor Strange... Sony
Pictures planning new
animated version of
Super Mario Bros... TOM
HIDDLESTON’s King
Kong caper Skull Island
cunningly retitled Kong:
Skull Island as it delays
release to 10 March

2017.. . Disney open to
more Indiana Jones
movies... Japan’s Toho
Studios making their
own Godzilla movie for

2016.. . New Line Cinema
filming Stephen King’s
IT with True Detective’s
CARY FUKUNAGA
directing...

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN,
PETER JACKSON and
ROBERT ZEMECKIS in

the mix for adaptation
of ERNEST CLINE’S
virtual reality novel
Ready Player One...
Insurgent’s ROBERT
SCHWENTKE directing
The Divergent Series:
Allegiant Part 7...

Pan and Ice Age:
Continental Drift
screenwriter JASON
FUCHS writing Wonder
Woman... Disney
developing a Pirates Of
The Caribbean-'mdebted
take on the Robin Hood
legend... Casino Royale’s
MARTIN CAMPBELL
helming graphic novel
adap Sebastian X, the
story of a cop implanted
with the memories of
the world’s most
notorious terrorist...
Earth To Echo’s DAVID
GREEN helming the
Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles sequel...

20th Century Fox
greenlighting
Independence Day 2...
MATTHEW VAUGHN
producing YA adap
Ghostgirl... CORIN
HARDY replacing F
JAVIER GUTIERREZ as
director of The Crow...
cinematographer ANNA
FOERSTER helming
Source Code 2...

RED ALERT

NEXT

MONTH

INSURGENT

The Divergent sequel is here!

THE WALKING DEAD

New zombies, new danger...

ABSOLUTELY

ANYTHING

Simon Pegg in Python-powered SF comedy!

PLUS: Agents Of SHIELD!

The Last Man On Earth!

The Signal! Robot Overlords!

John Barrowman! Claire North!

The Fly 2! Howard The Duck!

• All contents subject to change. Unless you pay the
sum of one trillion dollars by midnight. We have warheads.
Go to gamesradar.com/sfx for details

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Never miss an issue - see page 34.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

• ILLUSTRATION BY ANDY WATT

opinion

Wrong Notes

David Langford despairs for humanity. He really does

O ur local charity
shop is closing
down, and I
rescued a few
reference books
from oblivion. Chambers
Biographical Dictionary is
bound to come in handy some
day... “Are you looking for your
own name in there?” my wife
asked. “No, no,” I lied, quickly
paging on to Ursula Le Guin,
whose entry mentions the
Earth Sea (not Earthsea) trilogy
and morphs Planet Of Exile into
Plant Of Exile. I remembered
the bit in one of Robert
Heinlein’s SF novels where the
young hero is shocked, shocked
when his father scribbles
corrections in a textbook.

You don’t expect textbook
standards from newspapers,
not now they’ve fired all the
researchers and fact- checkers.

A recent Independent snippet
broke the news that Morten
Tyldum is to direct the film
Pattern Recognition, “Based
on the novel Neuromancer by
William Gibson...” Fortunately
sanity returned when the
following Ex-Machina
thumbnail synopsis was
of Gibson’s novel Pattern
Recognition. The Indy obituary
for BBC producer/director
Michael Hayes credits him with
early Doctor Who stories and,
before that, the 1961 SF classic AFor Andromeda
- or as the headline put it, “the sci-fi series ‘The
Andromeda Strain’”. Duh.

Another Gibson namecheck from a Sunday
Herald piece on the Glasgow Science Festival:
“The whole basis of the internet was famously
inspired by William Gibson’s book Neuromancer
and Isaac Asimov, who recently died, ‘invented’
earth- orbiting satellites in one of his tales.” Poor
old Arthur C Clarke, already forgotten.

The BBC website ran a story about that massive
flop John Carter, “based on the books of Conan
The Barbarian author Edgar Rice Burroughs”.
After the first 5,271,009 complaints, Conan
magically became Tarzan. Our most reliable
sources of SF/fantasy disinformation are quiz

shows, not covered here (with a nod to Private
Eye’s “Dumb Britain”) for over 50 issues. Put on
your tinfoil-lined thinking caps...

The Chase: “In what novel by HG Wells does
an inventor travel into the future?” Contestant:
“Great Expectations.”

Cash Cab: “What plant is said to deter
vampires?” Contestant (after a long pause):
“Well, I was gonna say garlic but that’s not a
plant, is it?” Host: “You’ve just won ten pounds!”

The Weakest Link: “In astronomy, a nucleus,
a coma and a tail are all parts of which celestial
body?” Contestant: “A horse.”

The Chase: “Which Irvine Welsh novel
features a monologue by a tapeworm?”
Contestant: “Wuthering Heights.”

Two Tribes: “Who wrote
The Ballad Of Reading Gaol
after his incarceration there?”
Contestant, surely with tongue
in cheek: “Gary Glitter.”

In It To Win It: “Dame Judi
Dench played which character
with a single-letter name in
James Bond?” Contestant: “I’m
thinking D or E. [Pause] D!”

Tipping Point: “In E=mc^
what does the E stand for?”
Contestant: “Einstein.”

The Weakest Link: “The
writer of Watchmen and
V For Vendetta is Alan who?”
Contestant: “Er... Ginsberg.”
Pointless: “Which GO wrote
Animal Farm?” Contestant: “I’ve got George
Osborne in my head.” What a ghastly SF concept.

The Chase: “On what day of the week
did Robinson Crusoe find his companion?”
Contestant: “Tuesday.”

The Weakest Link: “Which ‘T’ is the wife of
Oberon and Queen of the Fairies in A Midsummer
Night’s Dream?” Contestant, surely deserving half
marks: “Tinkerbell.”

My current all-time favourite is from, yet again.
The Chase: “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale is a story
by which fourteenth- century English author?”
Contestant: “JK Rowling.”

David Langford is not the answer - he*s part of
the problem.

^ SF writer David Langford
has had a column in SFX
since issue one.

1 David has received 29
Hugo Awards throughout
his career.

> His celebrated SF newsletter
can be found at
http://news.ansible.co.uk.

> He is a principal editor of the
SF Encyclopedia at http://
www.sf-encyclopedia.com.

Quiz shows
are reliable
sources of
disinformation

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

BAV

OFFICIAL TV, FILM, SCI-FI & SUPCRHCRO MfERCH

DDCTDR 0111 UIHD

OFFICIAL MFRCHANDISF

Full range available at www.BAY-57.NET

DISCOVER A HUGE RANGE OF OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE!

ILLUSTRATION BY MARIA COLINO

opinion

Small Wonder

Bonnie Burton sends dispatches from her invisible jet

W hen I was
a little girl,
I used to
pretend
I was

Our columnist Bonnie
Burton, a San Francisco-
based author, has written a
number of books including
her latest - The Star Wars
Craft Book.

Bonnie appears on the
massive “Geek & Sundry”
and “Stan Lee’s World Of
Heroes” YouTube channels.
More of her writing can be
found at www.grrl.com.

Why has it taken
so long to gate
Womfer Woman
movie mado?

Wonder Woman in the
playground. I’d fight injustices
at school, stand up for the
bullied kids and always try to do
the right thing. I’d spin around
my room imagining my boring
school clothes transforming
into Wonder Woman’s patriotic
red, white and blue costume.

I’d squint up at the sky hoping
to spot her invisible jet, despite
it being, y’know, invisible.

And imaginary.

I was a Wonder Woman
fan for life. She represented
everything I believe in today
- truth, justice and girl power.

I adored the Wonder Woman
show from the ’70s, but since
then I’ve had to be satisfied
with various Wonder Woman
comics and animated specials.

Why has a Wonder Woman
movie taken so long?

Director Michelle MacLaren
will be developing and directing
the Warner Wonder Woman
movie, starring Gal Gadot
with Zack Snyder producing.

But that doesn’t hit until 2017.

Gadot will debut her role as
Wonder Woman in Batman
Vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice
out in 2016, but there’s no
guarantee that Wonder Woman will have a
prominent role in the film. We may have to just be
content with a mere cameo until then.

So why has it taken until 2017, if the movie
stays on track, to get Wonder Woman on the big
screen? She’s arguably one of the most famous
superheroes in comics, and just as worthy of her
own major motion picture as her fellow costumed
crusaders. Bruce and Clark have had numerous
reboots and sequels, why not Diana?

There were a few chances for the Amazonian
to get her due but they never panned out.

Joss Whedon had a 2007 Wonder Woman
screenplay that portrayed her as a goddess-like
character who learns to appreciate humanity
through her love with the human Steve Trevor.

While fans were clamoring to read the script,
Warner Bros didn’t believe it was worth pursuing
- which is still a sore spot with Whedon. Now
that he’s Marvel’s golden boy after the success of
The Avengers, I bet the executives at Warner are
kicking themselves. Or at least, they should be.

And then there were all the TV attempts that
got lost in development hell. An NBC pilot from
David E Kelley in 2011 didn’t get airborne, and a
prequel for The CW called Amazon is apparently
still spinning its wheels “in development”.

So why do movie and TV executives think
anything to do with Wonder Woman is so tricky?
She’s from a foreign land and connected to Greek
gods. So how is that much different than being
part of Norse mythology like Thor? She travels in

an invisible jet, which isn’t that
much more ridiculous than the
Batmobile and is surely cheap
CG. Is the only reason it’s taken
this long for Wonder Woman to
be taken seriously as a bankable
superhero because she’s a she?

Surely it’s not because
films like Elektra (2004) and
Catwoman (2005) were box
office bombs? Doesn’t anyone
remember how much money
Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986)
made with one of the most bad-
ass female heroes of all time?

Saying women heroes aren’t
desired in major films is a
laughable argument after the
success of The Hunger Games and Divergent,
not to mention the strong female heroes in
such shows as Lost Girl, Continuum, Agents Of
SHIELD, Game Of Thrones, Sleepy Hollow, The
Originals, The Walking Dead...

Even the new Ghostbusters reboot might
get an all-female cast if director Paul Feig and
screenwriter Katie Dippold have their way, and
Tm fine with that. Hopefully, movie studios will
get the hint that audiences have been more than
ready for female superheroes to take over as
main characters - and not as mere love interests,
femmes fatales or eye candy cameos.

Bonnie will now pretend she^s swapping out of
work clothes into her crime-fighting costume.

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

It has clawed its way out of the soil,
time to get writing again!

itten by the urge to write? SFX has once again teamed
up with top author and master of horror Darren Shan to
find the best original zombie-themed short stories.

Entries must be no longer than 1500 words, be your
own original work, include at least one zombie in a
Santa outfit, and feature Christmas tree lights as a prop.

The latest instalment in Darren’s 12-part series, Zom-B
Family, is on sale now. The series chronicles the journey of
teenage protagonist B Smith during a zombie outbreak in
Ireland, to the death-filled streets of London. It’s grisly, fast-
paced and guarantees a high body count.

The closing date is Tuesday 3 February 2015; submissions
received after this date will not be considered, so don’t hang
around. All entries will be reviewed by judges from the SFX
team. The five best will be passed on to Darren to pick a winner.

All the shortlisted entries will recieve a signed set of nine
Zom-B books published by Simon & Schuster, and the
incredibly talented winner will discover their fate when
their story is printed in full in SFX issue 260, on sale
Wednesday 1 April 2015. Plus, they’ll get a weird zombie baby
statue! Get writing, and best of luck.

SHAN

m master OF HORROR

Entries should be submitted in Microsoft Word (either .doc or .docx files), via
www.gamesradar.com/writing-dead or www.futurecompetitions.com/WritingDead2
Further details can be found at www.gamesradar.com/writing-dead.

Terms And Conditions By taking part, you agree to be bound by the Competition Rules: www.futuretcs.com. Entries must be submitted in the place and format specified above and be
received by midnight (GMT) on Tuesday 3 February 2015. Late or incomplete entries, or entries in excess of 1500 words, will be disqualified. Entries are limited to one per individual.

Open to all UK residents of 16 years and over, except employees of Future Publishing Limited (“Future”) and any party involved in the competition. The winner will be selected by Zom-B
author Darren Shan in his sole discretion from a shortlist of 5 entries selected by a panel of judges from the SFX magazine team. The Judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be
entered into. The winner will be notified by email or telephone. There will be four (4) shortlisted winners entitled to nine (9) signed books from the Zom-B series, and one (1) overall winner
who will receive a set of signed books, a baby zombie statue, and their entry will be printed in Issue 260 of SFX Magazine. The prize is non-transferable and non-refundable. There is no cash
alternative. You will retain all rights you have in the copyright and other intellectual property rights comprising your entry but, by entering the Competition, you grant Future Publishing and
its licensees, and the Competition sponsor, the right free of charge to republish your Competition entry in any medium or format. You warrant that the Competition entry is entirely your own
work and not copied or adapted from any other source.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

March 2015

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Post
Apocalypse

Richard

Edwards,

Editor

We asked you what
movies and TV you
thought would come out
on top in 2015, and
unsurprisingly you’re as
excited about Avengers
and Star Wars as we are.
Happy to see that you’re
also hoping for something
original too - another
Safety Not Guaranteed
would be most welcome.

WRITE IN
AND WIN!

Communicate with
SFX using your
medium of choice
(letters, email,
social media - we’re
not fussy), and you
could find your
bookshelves
expanded to the
tune of some
goodies from our
allies at the Black
Library. This month,
Harry Potter
advocate James Kinsley
wins Dan Abnett’s Horus
Rising, the first book in
Black Library’s most
popular series. The Horus
Heresy. He’ll also get
audiodrama Master Of The
First/The Long Night from
Gav Thorpe and Aaron
Dembski-Bowden, a story
with ties to Horus Heresy.

If you share your thoughts
with us, it could be you
bagging Black Library
goodies next month.

HOT TOPIC
WHAT WILL
RULE 2015?

2015 will be the year
of the Disney Civil War where
Avengers: Age OfUltron takes on
Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

It is a given that Ultron will be a
big blockbuster success, but Star
Wars will be the biggest sci-fi
event of the decade, with every
teased detail scrutinised by geeks
(including me) before it hits the
cinemas in December. Mr Abrams,
please allow us to erase from our
memories Jar Jar Binks, trade
negotiations and midi-chlorians.

Movies like Ant-Man and
Jurassic World will be eagerly
anticipated, but whether they are
hugely successful will not be as
important as the big two of Ultron
and Star Wars.

The obvious omission from the
big screens will be anything from
DC: no Batman, Superman,

Justice League or even a Wonder
Woman - a serious scheduling
error from DC.

But what about the upcoming
Fantastic Four movie? Well, if
the rumours are anywhere near
correct about the evisceration of
the Doctor Doom character then
that is the one to be afraid of. Note
to Fox Studios: just follow the
damn comic - do that and it will
be great!

Jonathan Harvey,
Hemel Hempstead

> Will Star Wars beat Avengers?
Vm not sure. Yes, most people
over 30 are more excited about
a return to that galaxy far, far
away, but don’t forget that for
younger audiences. Marvel
movies have become the Star
Wars of the day.

Superheroes will dominate TV as
well as films, with Agent Carter
and Daredevil next year. I’ve been

JK NOT OK

I’m getting sick of filmmakers
taking liberties with their book
adaptations. Last week me and the
wife sat down to watch Harry Potter
And The Woman In Black, and I
was absolutely horrified at the way
they’d trashed JK Rowling’s work.

I understand you have to make
some cuts, and even I support the
fact they excised all the quidditch
sequences, but frankly I don’t
remember any of those ghosts
being in the books. They made
Ron and Hermione an old married
couple, while Harry remained the
same age, with no explanation.
There’s no sign of Snape or
Dumbledore, and for some baffling

reason they make Hedwig a dog
instead of an owl. And I’m all for
gender-blind casting, but having
established that Voldemort’s a
man in the rest of the series, they
suddenly make him a woman in
this one. Worst of all, though, is the
ridiculous decision to have Harry
not do any magic in the whole film.
It’s as if he ditched Magic in his final
year and switched to Law. I’ve no
idea what JK Rowling was thinking
letting them do this, but frankly it’s
ruined the whole series for me.

James Kinsl.

You’re going to hate Harry
Potter And The Angel Of Death -
Harry isn’t even in it.

THIS COULD BE YOU!

EMAIL SFX FUTURENET.COM

saying for years that a live- action
Marvel and DC comic universe
could work well on TV and now
it looks like it’s about to play out.
Still waiting to see spaceship sci-
fi shows make a comeback and
Ascension might be the start of it.

And of course there’s Doctor
Who. When it came back in 2005
I thought Doctor Who and sci-fi
fans would love it but it would

•Fw JJF' T$T pT

conf enr $ ► 37 ask the sfxperts ► 38 soapbox ► 39 wane ► 40 wishlist ► 42 event horizon

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

get killed in ratings by reality TV
and soaps and would only last one
series. Now nearly 10 years later
it’s still going strong. Plus there’s
Game Of Thrones to look forward
to as well.

Robert William Graham,
Facebook

I TV seems an even more natural
home for the long story arcs of
comic books than movies, so I
think the likes of Arrow, The
Flash, Agent Carter and the rest
will be on our screens for a long
time to come. Squirrel Girl: The
Series? We can’t wait...

I suspect Terminator and
Jurassic World will both be awfully
familiar as they both sound
like they are revisiting old tired
concepts and plots. Star Wars is
edging out Avengers on my must-
see list, but only because I want to
see what Star Wars is like without
George Lucas.

Steven John, Facebook

a rights-retention exercise than
anything else. Really there is not
much new to get excited about.
Avengers 2 just needs to keep the
boat steady for the Marvel-verse,
DC is just putting out more of the
same dreariness, and the BBC is
combining Doctor Who and Lark
Rise To Candleford to get Jonathan
Strange St Mr NorrelL Where is the
new blood? The new properties?

Belle Tain-Summer, Facebook

I You do know that Jonathan
Strange St Mr Norrell hasn’t been
made into a movie or TV show
before? The Beeb can’t win!

I’m looking forward to The
Avengers the most but I do like
to keep an eye out for the low-
budget gems you sometimes
get. Snowpiercer was a personal
favourite for this year. Also, while
not sci-fi per se. The Battery was
amazing.

Marc Farmer, Facebook

TALES OF WAR FROM THE GRIM
DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE ajKg

^ blacklibrary.com

LETHRS

1 want to see What
Star IKHSis like
HfffliKHtf George Lucas”

I would like to see something
new and fresh instead of reboots,
remakes and the same tired
formula. I will watch all of the big
films, enjoy them no doubt and
buy them. But there are thousands
upon thousands of books out there
waiting to be made into a film or
TV show. People will eventually
become bored of the same old
thing and tune out. I’ve not been
excited about a film in a long
while. The term “flogging a dead
horse” springs to mind.

Darren Greenidge, Facebook

My sci-fi movie highlight of
2014 was Edge Of Tomorrow,
so I’m with you on the hunt
for something new. I’d rather
be wowed by something
unexpected than watch the same
old characters - unless it’s Star
Wars, of course.

I’ve gone back to reading books,
with little or no TV and I’ve not

THIS MONTH IN
SCI-FI HISTORY

SFX193

April

2010

Clash Of The
Titans heads up
a far-from-stellar
month for films.
Luckily, the

Winchesters keep
things credible.

behind the sofa!”
It’ll never work...

worst hairstyles
in sci-fi history.

ft nif

SFXperts

If you can’t
remember it,
we can! Your sci-fi
problems solved...

Really not looking forward to
The Fantastic Four. Everything
I’ve read seems to make it look
like the director wrote a sequel
to Chronicle and just shopped it
around the studios until he found
one who would attach a pre-
existing property to it. More like

INDIAN SUMMER

In the mid-’OOs I read a book
set in India (referred to
throughout as Bharat) which
had a female Indian protagonist. First
contact had been made with aliens.
The communication may have been

telepathic. The aliens had a force
shield around their encampment.

Gillian Coyle, email

Rhian Drinkwater says
M ost searches for Bharat in an
SF novel give you River Of Gods

by Ian McDonald
- but it isn’t that.

Actually, this is
Empire Of Bones
by Liz Williams.

Jaya Nihalani
is the human
contact for all
communications
with an alien race, and neither
America nor the Indian
government are happy about
it. It’s an expanded version of a
short story originally published in
Interzone called The Unthinkables,

Lost in a sea of sci-fi ignorance? Think you might be having a fantasy, er, fantasy? Send questions to sfeperts@futurenet.com.
Want to be a guest SFXpert? Head to www.gamesradar.com/ask-sfeperts to see a list of unanswered questions.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

Ad manager Adrian Hill
(and his tight wallet) have
an issue with movie prices

a sustainable business model if it
isn’t attracting new punters?

If cinema’s going to survive,
people have got to see it as great
value. I know many cinema
chains run clubs on weekend
mornings with really good prices
for kids, but are a limited number
of screenings before lunchtime
enough? Football clubs have
realised they need to attract
new fans by offering cheap kids’
tickets for certain matches, and
cinemas need to do the same,
with deals like “two adults and

Cinemas need to
make money, but
it’s getting silly

a kid goes free” or similar. I love
going to the pictures - there’s
still something special about
seeing a movie on the big screen
- but is it really worth what we
currently have to pay?

Cinema chains need to realise
they could be pricing out a
large portion of their audience.
Otherwise the exciting trip to
the local picture house -
something that used to be an
easy-to-give treat on a rainy
Sunday afternoon - could
become a luxury that many
decide they can no longer afford.

G oing to the flicks isn’t

what it used to be. These
days taking the family to
watch a film can easily
set you back the best part
of £40 - and that’s just to get
through the door. Once you’ve
thrown in popcorn, drinks, 3D,
premium prices for blockbusters,
peak-time pricing, posh seating
and the rest, you’re looking at
a small fortune for your two
hours of entertainment. I know
cinemas need to make money, but
it’s getting silly.

It’s shortsighted for cinemas
to charge so much. These days,
the DVD and Blu-ray release
windows are so small that many
people will happily wait for the
DVD to come out and get the
whole family around the telly
for little more than a tenner.

Or, far worse, they might decide
to break the law and acquire
a pirated version of the film.
Neither are good for the future
of the multiplex - cinema
chains need to wake up to their
competition, both legitimate and
not- so -legitimate.

In the longer term, the
cinemas should be thinking
about the customers of the
future. If parents decide they
can’t afford to take their kids to
the pictures, those kids are less
likely to catch the big- screen
movie bug. Can the multiplex be

“The new star Nto
trailer was eneugh to
whet the appetite”

been to cinema in a very long time.
Something original to restimulate
the taste buds is required please.

Richard Woods, Facebook

Would love to see Brian Lumley’s
Necroscope books being made
into movies. I’d also like to see big
budget Warhammer 40k movies -
there’s so much material there.

John Hewitt, Facebook

Peak SF soon, it can’t last. The
1950s had wall-to-wall Western
and that died a death in the ’60s.
Soon they will produce too much.
Perhaps very soon.

Gerard Earley, Facebook

I Okay, I’m biased, but I think
suggesting we’re at peak SF
is a bit doom-mongery. With
JJ Abrams, Joss Whedon,
Christopher Nolan and more,
so many of Hollywood’s power
players are sci-fi fans who grew
up on Star Wars and its brethren
that I don’t think genre’s going
anywhere anytime soon.

GAMES THEORY

I’ve Anally managed to catch
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay,
Part One, and as a big fan of
the book I have to say that I’m
really pleased that they’ve split
it into two parts. Far from being
a cynically commercial ploy
(although, you know, it clearly
is that too) it does instead give
the more political and character-
based aspects of the plot time
to breathe. As far as YA Action
goes. The Hunger Games really

is the series that I want my
stepdaughter to eventually use as a
role model, rather than that insipid
Twilight nonsense.

That said, I remain hugely
disappointed at the complete lack
of hippopotami in the Aim. Ah
well, maybe in the Anal part...

The Llama God, The Dark
and Marble-Filled Lands
Beyond the Wall

How could The Hunger Games
expect to be taken seriously if it
didn^t split its final hook in two?
Even Holl5rwood has standards,
you know.

The new trailer for Star Wars
was just enough to whet the
appetite. Sure, the Falcon, the TIE
Fighters and the X-Wings look
little better than the CGI versions
from the 1997 releases, however
they are still the Falcon, TIE
Fighters and X-Wings. And then
there’s that lightsaber. A great
way to re-introduce Star Wars
after the disappointments of the
prequel trilogy.

Keith Tudor, Romsey, Hants

I can confidently say that the
Force Awakens trailer is the
BEST THING EVER. I’m not one
for needless hyperbole.

THE HORROR, THE
HORROR!

I read the Ultimate Guide To
Horror and enjoyed it. However,
there were two shows that were
missing from the TV terrors. One
was a semi-classic, the other a
short-lived cult show. The cult
show was Special Unit Two, a show
that sort of combined Grimm,

Men In Black and The X-Files. Set
in Chicago, SUT chronicled the
adventures of Detectives Nick
O’Malley (Michael Landes) and
Benson (Alexondra Lee), who

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

IMAGES: ISTOCKPHOTO (1)

hunted down monsters in secret
in order not to panic the city. The
show aired on the equally short-
lived United Paramount Network
(UPN) from 2001 to 2002.

The other show was Night
Gallery. I don’t see how you could
forget Rod Serling’s second series,
that ran from 1969 to 1973. It
featured Serling in an art museum
after hours, with unusual paintings
and sculptures that had unusual
tales behind them. Some of the
episodes were adapted from the
works of HP Lovecraft, August
Derleth and Fritz Lieber.

Willie Holmes, Chicago

We blame those dastardly
mind-rubbers for the omission.
Seriously, I can’t remember a

thing. In fact, what am I even
doing here?

THE RETURNED

I’m probably one of the older
readers of SFX - I’ll be 50 in 2015,
so I can remember the negative
reactions to a lot of the reboots of
the day. Our parents would wonder
why Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers
and Batman all needed to restart
when they were already “known”.

Today’s outcry is similar but
some of the reboots are really
rather good. Casino Royale
was not, as I recall, a flop, and
restarting the franchise worked
spectacularly well. Batman Begins
was 20 years after my generation’s
Batman began, but it’s a great
trilogy of movies, although

GALLING ALL COLLECTORS!

Do you have an amazing piece of sci-fl and fantasy
memorabilia? Want to And out how much your
most prized treasure is worth? You’re in luck!

SFX is launching a new regular feature called
Cash In The AT-AT, where we’ll give you the
chance to get your favourite item valued by the
experts at Vectis auctioneers (www.vectis.co.uk).

It’s SFX’s answer to the Antiques Roadshowl
Send us a photo of your favourite item with
a few words about what it is, where you got it and what it means to you
to sfx@futurenet.com, using the subject line Cash In The AT-AT, and
you could soon see your memorabilia on the pages of
SFX. (Photos need to be in focus, well lit, at least 1,000
pixels wide, and preferably photographed against a plain %/GCLIJ
background - otherwise we won’t be able to use them.)

SPONSORED BY

TALES OF WAR FROM THE GRIM
DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE ajKg

^ blacklibrary.com

LETHRS

Andrew Garfleld’s Spider-Man
arrived with almost indecent haste
after the Tobey Maguire version.
It’s done very nicely, mind.

So here’s a suggestion. We wait
until the reboot actually arrives,
whether it’s Ghostbusters or
anything else. We might actually
enjoy it. And kids, try not to be
offended when, 20 years from
now when I’m almost 70 years
old, a new generation decides your
favourite movie needs to be made
all over again.

Guy Clapperton, London

I Stop getting uptight about a
movie before you’ve actually
seen it? Sounds reasonable, Guy,
but what will people talk about
on the internet?

GET BAT

Am currently enjoying Gotham.

I’m glad to see the makers have
gone for a Burton-esque feel and
not the boring Nolan pap! As for
female superheroes (issue 255),
no one will ever match Michelle
Pfeiffer’s Catwoman.

C Roberts, Hinckley

Isn’t that the great thing about
Batman - that his hometown can
be reinvented in any number
of ways. I wonder, though, if
you’d have been so emphatic in
your praise if the producers had
opted to use Joel Schumacher’s
neon-verse as their template.

THE NEXT
GENERATION

You’re amazing.

Patrick Sproull (age six), Scotland

I Thanks Patrick. We think
you’re pretty cool too.

UJFIHF

WE ALSO
HEARD
FROM

• John WorKall (disputing Calum
Waddell’s take on Dawn Of The
Dead’s Marxist credibility); • Ian
Kirkham (predicting that Star
Wars: The Force Awakens will be
the highest grossing film of 2015

- nice thought, but remember it’s
only got 13 days to do it!); •
Simon Phillips (loving Edge Of
Tomorrow all the way from
Japan); • Steve (asking us if
we’ve had a brain-swap - that’s a
very personal question, Steve.
But no); Craig Sheridan and
Keith Tudor (with some niggles
about our new online home at
GamesRadar.com/sfx - give it a
chance, chaps. We think you’ll
come to love it); • Neil (“still
reeling” that Missy turned out to
be the Master after all. “The Rani
would have made more sense”);

# John Hewitt (“A wee mention
for The Lord Inquisitor and
Exterminatus. Two fan-based
movies being made of the
Warhammer 40k universe”); •
Dave Normington (“The next
few years are going to be
amazing for sci-fi fans); # Keith
Tudor (again, enjoying an
unexpected Roots/Star Trek
crossover episode - honestly,
who expected that?); • Terry
Westmorland (“I want Dune,
with flying proper Ornithopters
and fighting with the ‘Weirding
Way’. Shai Hulud!”); • Stephen
Saul (who wants to see
Avengers: Age Of Ultra Nate

- well, you’re free to want what
you want to want, Stephen); •
Stefan Driver (looking forward
to “the Marvel stuff, dinosaurs
and... STAR WARS!”); • Stephen
Keene-Elliott (wondering if Dave
Langford has read Boom
Studios’ Memetic by James
Tynion IV and illustrated by Eryk
Donovan); • Keith Tudor (again,
again - this time Keith’s enjoying
season two of Sleepy Hollow. “It
combines the horror and fantasy
elements very well with humour
and banter.” Thanks for all the
correspondence, Keith! You have
won a gold star); # David Tobin
(wanting to see a movie version
of Dean Koontz’s The Taking)]
and many, many more....

Share your thoughts with the sci-fi world!

) Write in and you’ll win some books if we feature you in the star letter
slot. Email us at sfx@futurenet.com or you can try Post Apocalypse,

SFX, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BAl lUA if you’re not taken with technology.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

@ 0 $

Wishlist

Illustrating what you
want to see in new SF
films and television.

This Month; The attack
eyebrows are back in
Doctor Who series nine

Doctor Who

YOUR TOP 5 REQUESTS

More Missy

O Though not the unanimous request we were
expecting, the return of The Master was atop
many people’s lists. “More Missy please,” says Rob
Monfea. “The Psychotic Mary Poppins was one of
the stand out things from this season.” While Neil
Finlay adds, “Michelle Gomez is strangely alluring.
It’s quite disconcerting fancying the Master.”

The Search For Gallifrey

Q After “The Day Of The Doctor” there was
surprise the hunt for Gallifrey wasn’t more
integral to series eight - something you’d like
rectified. “The search for Gallifrey needs to be
the series arc. There has been so much emotional
investment in this since the return of the series that
it needs to have a payoff,” says Justin Webb.

Make It More Alien

Q Tony Bufton says, “A non-Earth-resident
companion is a must. We need to go back to
the Doctor travelling the galaxy.” David Stephens
has a great idea for a returning companion,
meanwhile: “I always hoped Missy would be a
peed-off Romana, let’s bring her back.”

Two-parters

Q “Dark Water”/“Death In Heaven” aside, series
eight lacked cliffhangers. “More two-parters.

I hate waiting a week to see what’s gonna happen
next, but they do allow for greater storytelling
opportunities,” says Scott Henry.

Pater Jackson

Q Series eight had one big name director in Ben
Wheatley, but Mark Thomas Langdon wants
to see the show go even bigger for series nine. “I’m
eager for the proposed Peter Jackson episode. With
The Hobbit finished he should be able to fit one in at
some point next year. Fingers crossed!”

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

TALES OF WAR FROM THE GRIM
DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE

blacklibrary^com

WISHLIST

ARE YOU
LISTENING?

Who has a really
good idea? These
people do.

^ One word: Valeyard. Si Wright
¥ I would love to see Fifth Doctor
era monster The Malus return.

I think Who is doing darkness
and gothic horror better than it
has since the Hinchcliffe era, so a
monster like that would be
perfect. Jamie M Davis

^ Another Ice Warrior story, but
make their voices less like the
Judoon and more like classic Ice
Wa r r i 0 rs . Ciiff Chapman
j Make the show about the
Doctor again not the companion.
For too long now it’s been the
other way around. Capaldi has
been brilliant this season but
Moffat has made it the Clara
show. Neii Perry
Bring back Jamie Mathieson
as a writer. His episodes were
among the best this season.
KirstyLeanne

^ Some classic monsters: the Sea
Devils, Yeti, Robots of Death,
Axons, more Autons with creepy
dolls and people-eating sofas.

Or how about the maggots for a
real fan pleaser? MarkCordory

10 The return of a classic
companion for a two-parter -
Susan, Tegan, Peri or Ace. Neii
Maicoim

I I hope Clara returns. Jenna
Coleman has given the best
performance of any companion
in the show’s 50-year run this
series. It’s almost like people
want rid of her because she’s
TOO good. PauiKirkiey

^ I would love to see the Doctor
take on the Sea Devils.

Russeii Gariand
The Doctor straightens out
the British government, being
helpful but using extreme
language. I call the episode
“Spin Doctor Who”.

Pound Shop Godfather
^ As it’s the 10th anniversary
of New Who, do catch ups
on characters such as Mickey
and Martha. Don’t have to
appear, just a mention.

Catch up with the Sarah Jane
kids and Mr Smith. Jonathan
Madden

1 1 would like a story that allowed
Sean Pertwee to play his Dad’s
role. Michaei Wearing

comiDG soon

Wonder Woman
and Highlander

All your wildest dreams can
come true right here! Wonder
Woman and Highlander are up
next, so tell us your ideas.

Send in your ideas about our
current Wishlist by visiting

bit.ly/SFXwishlist

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HOUGHT BUBBLE IS BIG,

really big. From humble beginnings
it has grown to become a huge
celebration of all things comic related.
The festival, now in its eighth year,
comprises a whole week of events at various
sites around Leeds culminating in a two day
comic convention. During the week you can
find art and writing classes, talks by industry
professionals and various comic book related
screenings. But it’s the weekend event that
draws in the most punters.

The sheer number of comic creators in
attendance over the convention weekend was
impressive. From well-known, established
names from all corners of the globe through
to small independents, the whole range of
sequential arts were represented.

Unfortunately this huge number of creators
can be a little overwhelming at times; there’s
a lot on offer and it can be difficult to decide
what to do with your time. It’s easy to wander

round in a daze among the many creator tables
and not have a clue where to start. If you can
get past this, though, the best course of action
is to just jump in and start talking to people:
every creator we spoke to was friendly, chatty
and eager to show off their work.

The whole convention had a welcoming
atmosphere; from the big name creators right
on down to the convention newbies there
was a sense of relaxed camaraderie, with
everyone wanting to share their love of comics
and comic art.

A large number of cosplayers were in
attendance too, of course, with characters
from all walks of comic life wandering
around and happily stopping for photos while
generally adding a bit of colour to proceedings.

As both a week long festival and a two
day convention. Thought Bubble was a
terrific, positive celebration of all things
comic related. Don’t miss it in 2015.
www.thoughtbubblefestival.com

Steven Ellis reports from the popular
Leeds comic arts festival

Event Horizon

Festival Report

Thought Buhhie

9-16 November 2014, Leeds

Because meeting up
is every fan’s right

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

IMAGES © BOB PETERS

IMAGES © MIKE MASSARO/NOUR FESTIVAL

CONVENTIONS

Con Report

Arab Science Fiction

15 November, Science Museum, London

Dave Bradley attended a panel of Eastern
thinkers, writers and filmmakers

T he Director’s Suite at London’s world

famous Science Museum is a handsome two-tiered library with
space for about 100 seats, a big screen and a panel area. And
it was this venue that played host to a discussion, subtitled From
Imagination To Innovation, organised by Sindbad Sci-Fi as part of
Kensington and Chelsea’s Nour Festival. Broadcaster Samira Ahmed
hosted an informal chat between scientist and playwright Hassan
Abdulrazzak; author and co-founder of Yatakhayaloon (The League Of
Arab Sci-Fiers) Yasser Bahjatt; science writer and editor of Research
Fortnight Ehsan Masood; and artist and filmmaker Larissa Sansour.
There were story readings and a short film entitled Nation Estate.

The event aimed to unite many things: science and the arts. East
and West, academia and popular culture. It may not have solved the
perennial puzzler of world peace, but the evening did remind us that
while modern SF tends to be regarded as a Western phenomena, there
are important precursors from the Middle East including the fantastic
legends of Sindbad the sailor. And there’s a thriving interest in genre
literature there today, despite censorship in places like Saudi Arabia,
as revealed by Yasser Bahjatt. He contends that there’s an important
correlation between the sales of sci-fi in a country and the overall level
of scientific advancement. “This year’s theme [was] science fiction as
an important link between the creative imagination and technological
innovation,” explains Sindbad Sci-Fi’s coordinator Yasmin Khan.
Samira Ahmed says: “Even SF can get bogged down in its own
traditions. So exploring SF through the prism of the Arab imagination
is fascinating. It’s a great chance to listen to some powerful literary
voices and rethink what SF is about and what it can do.” The event
included a prize draw and a pleasant, comfortable environment in
which to sip orange juice and chat. More information about the annual
Nour Festival atwww.rbkc.gov.uk/subsites/nour.aspx

Don’t Miss Them!

2015 Convention Preview

Steven Ellis looks at the year
ahead in sci-fi and fantasy cons

E very month in SFX, our Event

Horizon pages say: “Because meeting up is every fan’s
right”, and it looks like 2015 will be another good year
for regular convention attendees, as well as anyone taking
their first steps into the wonderful world of SF cons.

If you’ve got the time/money/patience for navigating
a sea of punters nothing can quite match the colossal
American festivals such as San Diego Comic- Con in July
or New York Comic Con in October - the go-to events
for big names and huge announcements. Alternatively,
September’s Dragon Con in Atlanta has a different flavour
to the bigger cons, and is heavy on the cosplay.

On this side of the pond, London has its fair share of
“comic cons” filled with big- name guests from film, TV
and comics, including London Film and Comic Con (July),
London Super Comic Con (March) and MCM Comic Con
(May). Each has a slightly different feel and focus (guests,
comics and cosplay, respectively) but whichever you
choose, you’ll be seeing a lot of the ExCeL Centre...

For slightly smaller conventions, Wales Comic Con in
Wrexham has been getting better every year, and attracts
some surprisingly big names. There’s also no shortage of
W/io-related events, but you might want to attend one
in aid of a good cause, such as the Bedford Who Charity
Con in April, which is raising money for food banks.

After a hugely successful inaugral event, Judge Dredd
fans shouldn’t miss Lawgiver in Bristol in May - a small
one-day event dedicated to Mega- City One’s top law
man. Also worthy of note is “young con on the block”
Nine Worlds, which will be staging its third event near
Heathrow at the beginning of August and is quickly
becoming the year’s hottest geek ticket. And there’s
no better way to end the year than by popping along
to Thought Bubble in Leeds. You can see what we
thought of the latest Thought Bubble opposite.

These events are just the tip of the iceberg; the con
scene gets bigger and more vibrant every year and
events can be found in most cities in some form or
other. Whatever you’re a fan of there’s bound to be
something to suit you. Who knows, we may even see
you out there on the convention floor.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

THIS MONTH’S
QUIZMASTER

Alex Cox,

Operations

Editor

HOUJ DID '^DU DDt>

Where are you on the eard?

O Which former WWF and

WCW champion appeared in
Turtles II: Secret Of The Ooze and
The Punisher, but turned down the
role of Sabretooth in X-Men"?

Q Which fellow grappler ended
up in the role of Sabretooth,
and later got behind the mask as
Michael Myers in the 2007 and
2009 Halloween movies?

Q Which strangely

heartwarming movie,
starring All Japan Pro Wrestling’s
Osamu Nishimura and directed
by Minoru Kawasaki, proceeded
Kawasaki’s Executive Koala?

Q Who played the title
role in the inexorable
Abraxas, Guardian Of The
Universe, and shall never be
forgiven for doing so?

Q “It kills on sight, and is
generally unpleasant” -
which Brit wrestler, which film?

Britain’s Pat Roach took on
I four different roles in which
movie series?

Q Which WWE Studios horror
series features a character
called Jacob Goodnight?

Q The ironically named

Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister - The
Fifth Element’s hulking President
Lindberg - appeared in 1984 movie
No Holds Barred (and later in the
ring) under which godly name?

Q In which 1964 spy film did
the wrestler with the ring
name Tosh Togo - though he was
credited under his real name -
make his movie debut?

© Olympic gold medallist Kurt
Angle played a fire chief in
which fish- out- of- water sequel?

Name the character played
by Roddy Piper in John
Carpenter’s They Live.

/Tj\ Which Star Trek star guest
hosted Monday Night Raw in
2010, reading the lyrics to entrance
themes in his own inimitable style?

( And which star has tussled
with both Dolph Ziggler and,
er, “Magneto” inside a WWE ring?

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Mix sports and acting and what do you get? Sporcting!
And wrestling. Let’s test you on grapplers in genre roles

/T|\ Andre The Giant’s most famous role was as

Fezzik in The Princess Bride. But in which 1976
series did he play Bigfoot?

Which musclehead battled
Seven Of Nine as the Pendari
Champion in Star Trek: Voyager
episode “Tsunkatse”?

® Which gravelly-voiced

grappler appeared as Space
Ghost’s grandfather in Space
Ghost: Coast To Coast?

® The Shockmaster was

WCW’s greatest flop. What
kind of sci-fi helmet had wrestler
Fred Ottman covered in glitter as
part of his costume?

Who is Hulk Hogan playing,
and in which show/movie?

Bastermind

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

THE WORLD OF SFX

The World Of SFX

Don’t stop here: there’s always more for you to read...

» SFX, Total Film and GamesRadar.com have
teamed up to create the ultimate multimedia site.
Bringing together the brightest minds in sci-fi,
fantasy, movies and gaming, GamesRadar+ is the
perfect complement to everything you love about the
world of entertainment, straight from the experts.
Besides hot news, the latest film and TV reviews and
exclusive features, we’ll bring you the best trailers as
soon as they hit, and challenge your grey matter with
the most fiendish screen quizzes on the planet.

It’s all at gamesradar.com. and you can bookmark
gamesradar.com/sfx to see only content from us.

TOTAL FILM

I Every month SFXs sister magazine Total Film
brings you fantastic coverage of all aspects of the
movies. In the latest issue, the TF team looks forward
to the massive movies of 2015 and looks back at the
60 best films of the year just gone - along with the
best posters, the best trailers and the absolute worst
lines ever put to page by professional screenwriters.
All this and news from Duncan Jones on Warcraft,
Mark Ruffalo talking Age OfUltron, Ridley Scott
dishing the dirt on Exodus: Gods And Kings and
much more. Issue 228 of Total Film is on sale now.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
TO SCI-FI MOVIES

» Our latest 148-page bookazine - made in
conjunction with Total Film - has hit the shelves at
last! It’s full of profiles of the hottest sci-fi movies,
interviews with the stars, and behind-the-scenes
features that will teach even the most ardent fan
something new. Want even better value? Pick it up
as part of The Complete Sci-Fi Gift Pack] you’ll get
an issue of SFX, a digital download of Total Film, The
Ultimate Guide To Sci-Fi Movies and one of five Star
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ISSUE 257 MARCH 2015

Future Publishing Ltd: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 IDA
Emaii: sfx@futurenet.com Web: www.gamesradar.com/sfx

EDITORIAL

Editor: Richard Edwards, richard.edwards@futurenet.com
Art Editor: Jonathan Coates, jonathan.coates@futurenet.com
Deputy Art Editor: Catherine Kirkpatrick, catherine.kirkpatrick@futurenet.com
Operations Editor: Alex Cox, alex.cox@futurenet.com
Features Editor: Nick Setchfield, nick.setchfield@futurenet.com
Home Entertainment Editor (Reviews): Ian Berriman, ian.berriman@futurenet.com
Community Editor (News): Jordan Farley, jordan.farley@futurenet.com
US Editor (East Coast): Tara Bennett, usaeast@sfx.co.uk
US Editor (West Coast): Joseph McCabe, usawest@sfx.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

Sam Ashurst, Lauren Beukes, Saxon Bullock, Bonnie Burton, Dominic Carter,

Paul Cemmick, Nick Chen, Richard Cobbett, Maria Colino, Sarah Dobbs,

Penny Dreadful, Rhian Drinkwater, Steven Ellis, Dean Evans, Tom Fordy, Paul Garner,
Dave Golden Kate Gray, David Grove, Guy Haley, Tom Hawker, Stephen Jewell,
Stephen Kelly, David Langford, Russell Lewin, Miriam McDonald, James Mottram,
Jayne Nelson, Steve O’Brien, Andrew Osmond, Andy Ounsted, Mike Rampton,
Bridie Roman, Will Salmon, Anthony Taylor, Alex Thomas, Calum Waddell,
Damien Walter, Andy Watt, David West, Meg Wilde, Jonathan Wright

FfLM GROUP, LONDON
Editor (Total Film): Jane Crowther (maternity)

Acting Editor (Total Film): Rosie Fletcher Managing Art Editor: Karl Jaques
Acting Associate Editor: Richard Jordan Managing Editor: Kathryn Twyford
Screenings Editor: Matthew Leyland News Editor: Matt Maytum
Cover photography: Kingsman: © Twentieth Century Fox;

Black Panther: © Marvel; Agent Carter: © Marvel; The Walking Dead: © AMC;
Daredevil: © Netfllx/Marvel; Game Of Thrones © Getty; Thunderbirds: © ITV PLC

Photography: Will Ireland, Simon Lees, Gavin Roberts
Thanks to: Nichola Jewitt, Fiona Corlett, Brian Klotz, Sarah Patel

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Adrian Hill, 01225 442244, adrian.hill@futurenet.com

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Brought to you by: Spicy sausage stew, tiny Nerf guns, as much mulled cider as we
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KINGSMAN:THESECRETSERVIGE

r

©

1

[2

PHE

■

L

J

^\\ 0 ,

I

FUN. STYLE. ULTRAVIOLENCE.

NICK SETCHFIELD DISCOVERS HOW
KINGSMAN’S KEEPING THE BRITISH END UP

ATTHEW VAUGHN

has amission.

It wasn’t handed to him in
a manila folder stamped EYES
ONLY but it’s every bit as vital:
restore the lost spirit of the Great British spy
flick, that unique brand of big screen espionage
that prized flamboyance over thuggery, suits
over brutes. The age of Connery and Moore,
winks and quips. Union Jack parachutes and
just a pinch of Bank Holiday-friendly filth.

“I was born in 1971, so they were formative
Aims for me growing up,” says Vaughn, director
of Kingsman: The Secret Service, a cheeky,
hyper-caffeinated spin on the spy capers of old.
“I loved those movies and this is a love letter
to them. I just thought ‘Why is no one making
movies like this anymore?’ And then I thought
Well, I’ll do it.’ I was inspired by what Spielberg
did with Indiana Jones, where he did what he
called the modern version of the movies he grew
up on. I thought Why don’t I do the same?’

“I was inspired by all of it. The Avengers,
Harry Palmer, The Prisoner, The Man From

UNCLE, In Like Flint. All those things I grew
up loving. Of course there’s a huge shadow of
Bond - Bond is the monolith of spy movies -
but it’s not just about Bond. There were a lot
of Other things that influenced me.”

Vaughn co-plotted Kingsman’s story with
Mark Millar, who teamed with artist Dave
Gibbons to create the comic book version in
2012. It’s Vaughn’s second collaboration with
Millar - he helmed the equally energised
adaptation of teen superhero tale Kick-Ass.
Like many a great idea, it was born in the pub.

“I was in the pub with Mark and we were
chatting about spies,” Vaughn recalls. “Bond,
Bourne, Jack Bauer... they’re all so serious.

We were talking about our favourite Bond
movies and how Roger Moore was weirdly
forgotten now. Those Aims aren’t as celebrated
as they should be.”

Millar was just as determined to restore a
touch of Moore to spydom. “The plan was to
create a spy movie that didn’t make us want
to kill ourselves after it,” he tells SFX. “Spies
were always the British version of superheroes
to me. Glamorous, aspirational figures that
were as impossible to attain as a utility belt or
a web -cartridge.

“Bond is basically the British Batman, but
just as Batman went a bit miserable so did
James Bond. The notion of kids playing with
whatever gadget-laden car Bond was driving
seemed a faraway memory by 2008 when
Matthew and I started talking about this.

Guns, gadgets, girls and gags were the building
blocks of a good spy yarn for us and Bourne
had cast a little raincloud over it all.”

Subscribe atjmyfavouritemagazinqs.co.uk/sfx

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

iTARONi

EGERTON

egGsy

Did yoi( know the comic book? j

1 1 went out and bought it as soon as there was
any suggestion Matthew Vaughn might be
interested in me for this part. I went and did
my homework. There are slight differences but
I think our film is very, very true to the spirit of
the comic.

How dernanding were tjie fight sequentes?

I It takes forever, forever, because it all has to
marry together in a certain way. Your fist has
to turn here, land here, the stuntman can’t
be there because he has to be here, but
meanwhile the camera has to do this... For
me, having never made a film, let alone an
action film, it was a bit of a baptism of fire.

How was it working with Coiin Firth and
Michaei Caine?

I When you come to work with these guys,
you’ve kind of deified them in your mind - they
are these icons. And then you realise they’re
just normal blokes who are just as friendly as
you would hope to be to anyone else in the
profession. Colin’s not the kind of person who
would ever presume to give advice. He’s too
humble for that. There was a day on set where
we had a scene together and for whatever
reason I wasn’t getting it and Matthew couldn’t
quite understand why. It went on for some time
and I was getting more and more frustrated.
Colin was silent the whole time, never said
anything, until the point where I said, “Colin,
you’ve got to help me out here, mate, I don’t
know what I’m doing!’’ And then he went
“Okay, here’s what I think you should do.’’ And
that’s the loveliness of him. He was there ready
to give advice but he would never have forced
it on me had I not asked him.

“PEOPLE WANT ESCAPISM AND
FUN AT THE MOMENT”

So why did that style of spy film fall from
favour? Why did we board up the volcanic lairs
and decommission the orbital lasers? When
did the cool wows go the way of the Cold War?

“Why did superhero films go out of favour?”
asks Vaughn. “Why did the Western die?
Everything’s on trend and people get bored of
things. And then history repeats itself. I’m sure
that in about three years’ time everyone will
be sick of superhero films. I think things are
circular. People want escapism and fun at the
moment. Look at the success of Guardians Of
The Galaxy. I think Nolan kickstarted a very
dark, bleak style of superhero escapism and
I think people have had enough of it.”

FROM STREET TO SPY

Fusing the adolescent spunk of Kick- Ass with
the spy-chic trimmings of Vaughn’s Bond-
homaging X-Men; First Class, Kingsman
tells the tale of Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a
streetwise deadbeat recruited to a clandestine
intelligence agency by Colin Firth’s Harry
Hart, a dapper and deadly gentleman spy
whose fists are as sharp as his tailoring. It’s
Chav And Let Die.

Vaughn claims “a mixture of inspirations:
watching the kids riot in Tottenham and
hearing them say We’re doing this because
we’ve got nothing else to do.’ And then
we read the story of Terence Young, who
directed Dr No, who spent a couple of months
transforming Sean Connery into a gentleman
because Ian Fleming was going bananas,
saying ‘Cast David Niven, not Connery!’ We
thought there was something in there. And
then Mark had the idea - which I thought was
fascinating - of the Earth being an organism
and that we’re a virus that keeps fucking it up.

I thought ‘This is cool’.”

With Samuel L Jackson going full Blofeld
as globe-threatening billionaire Valentine,

the snaggle-toothed spectre of Mike Myers
looms large. How fine is the line between
tribute and pastiche?

“Very fine,” says Vaughn. “As fine as can be.
Finer than 35 mil film. As a script no one really
understood what the fuck it was. The studio
was like ‘What is this - Austin PowersT It was
a balancing act but I think we pulled it off.

It’s not a comedy but it’s full of laughs. It’s got
action, it’s got drama, it’s got pathos, it’s got
everything. It’s what I did with Kick-Ass - it’s
a proper movie but we’re allowed to have a bit
more fun with it. Its aim was to be entertaining
but not silly.”

Vaughn’s taste for blackly comic ultraviolence
gives Kingsman much of its energy. “The studio
did say, ‘You can’t have heads exploding in that
church sequence - no one’s going to enjoy it.’

I said, ‘Trust me, when it’s finished, it’ll put a
smile on their face.’ And they all thought I was
insane. And then they saw it and said, ‘Okay,
you’re right, this is weirdly enjoyable. It’s not
gratuitous. It’s just fun. Even though we’re
watching thousands of people get killed we’re
smiling, and we don’t know why!’ Well, I don’t
know why either, but I know how to do it!

“There was some stuff where I went, ‘That’s
taken it too far, dial it down.’ There were a
few shots that didn’t make the final cut, let’s
put it that way.”

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

. #

© “Eggsy is a pretty
unappealing character when
we first meet him and still quite
young. I wanted him to look
callow but with potential. Some
spots, slumped posture and a
bad haircut seemed to do the
job. He shares the family nose
with his mother and uncle. A
hoodie, ball cap and baggy
jeans complete the look.”

© “Jack (renamed Harry in the movie) is a
tough guy but very controlled and suave.

I wanted him to look like he’d been in a few
fights and might have been a squaddie, hard
and honed. His look is timeless; classic clothes,
well-matched accessories and a neat haircut.

I wanted him to have the vibe that Sean
Connery had when he played Bond although
he more closely resembles Jason Isaacs.”

© “I love the way Mark wrote
the relationship between Eggsy
and Jack and wanted it to be
clear how Eggsy might
believably grow into someone
like his uncle. I made them look
fairly similar as the family
connection and resemblance
was key. It was really through
posture and body language
that I tried to differentiate them
and, of course, their wildly
contrasting fashion sense.”

NW 4 , 1

TI3tP VOIJM5T
TtJ Mii:< A yBUrOW
CAR. tXXT

A SLOOPy WiS?

The Secret Service: Kingsman is published by Titan Books.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

.dfesth^artofTheSec^t^

Artist Dave Gibbons

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

; COLIN ;

; FIRTH ;

H ARRY H ART

There are traces of Bonfl and Steed in Marry.
Are you channelling your childhood heroes?

> Yes, we all are, and it doesn’t stop at Bond
and Steed. That’s part of what Matthew’s work
is all about - what the joy for us all was. An
awful lot of us grew up fantasising about being
that guy, whether it’s Bond or Batman, and
then you get older and you fantasise about
seeing films with those guys, that give you the
buzz you had when you were 10. And .
Matthew’s got the skill to do it. I think he’s got
some sort of hotline to what we want to see.

It’s a bit like a superpower, really.

Were you ever in the frame for Bond?

I No. Never had that phone call. I know that
I was on gossipy lists in other people’s minds
but no, they never approached me.

You had a rigorous training programme for
this. Do you feel temptOd to continue it?

> I do, but I don’t have the ten guys handy! I’m
not being facetious - I would love to keep it up,
but what we learnt for this isn’t really applicable
anywhere else. It’s not the same as a martial
art. It’s more of a dance. It’s choreographed
fighting, with a purpose. I’ve been going
through my mind as to how to pursue this. I
can’t get the same guys and say let’s all stage

a fight... well, I could, but I’m sure the Jackie
Chan training team have got better things to
do than dance with me every morning!

What tricks can you do with an umbrella now?

I None. I’ve forgotten it all. You should see me
the other day, actually, just struggling to get
one up when it was raining. I don’t know if
these fight moves would help us if we got into
a fight. I have wondered.

“WE CREATED IT TO SAVE BANK
HOLIDAYS IN THE FUTURE”

And then there’s Colin Firth, shedding
Middle-England heart-throb status to unleash
his inner Jackie Chan in a Savile Row suit.

“That’s why I cast Colin,” says Vaughn. “In
my mind I imagined David Niven kicking arse
- and who’s the modern day gentleman who’d
be a total surprise to see do this? Colin was the
first guy in my head. And he trained his arse
off. He did brilliantly.”

Vaughn says longtime screenwriting
colleague Jane Goldman brought “sanity” to
Kingsman - “She grounds my nuttiness.” He
also relied on Firth and Egerton to keep it real.

“I was always saying, ‘Bring it down, play it
straight. Don’t go for the laughs - the laughs will
come.’ And they understood it. I said, ‘You’ve got
to play it for the reality of the drama and nothing
else. The crazy shit I’ll put around you guys.”

Joyrider turned world-saver, Eggsy is a
potentially starmaking role for Egerton. It’s
also his first lead in a feature film. It must have
been daunting for him stepping into the ring
with not only Firth but screen legend Michael
Caine, cast as secret service mandarin Arthur.

“You’d imagine,” laughs Vaughn. “If it was
he didn’t show it. It should have been!”

Vaughn admits Caine’s casting is a tribute
to his turn as downbeat intelligence operative
Harry Palmer, a role that defined the word
iconic, underscored it in red ink then locked it
in a box marked Property of Michael Caine.

“When Caine first walked on set I thought
it was a gaffer taking the piss, doing a bad
Michael Caine impression! And then I looked
round and it was actually him. His voice is
so iconic that when you hear it you cannot
believe that it’s real. But he was lovely. It was
a total honour.”

And how did Caine find stepping into
Kingsman’s high-throttle madness? “I think it’s
rather effortless for him,” says Vaughn. “The
guy’s seen it, done it, a million times. Although
I showed him the scene in the church and said.

‘Look, you’ve got to react to this.’ And he went
‘Jesus! I never fucking imagined it’d be like
that! Thank god you showed it to me!”’

A decade ago Vaughn was in talks to direct
a bona fide Bond film, one that would hand the
Walther PPK to his friend and Layer Cake star
Daniel Craig. He never directed Casino Royale
but has bringing Rmgsmun; The Secret Service
to the screen finally scratched that itch? Or
does he still have 007 in his cross-hairs?

“Never say never is all I’ll say to that,” he
laughs. “But I think there’s more chance of them
asking me to direct Chitty Chitty Bang Bang^.”

The Bond dream aside, if Kingsman’s a
hit then Vaughn is willing to re- enlist in Her
Majesty’s secret service.

“I know exactly where it’s going. We’ve got
it all plotted out. If people want to see another
one we’re ready to go off and make it.”

Mark Millar, meanwhile, is thrilled by
Kingsman’s transition from page to screen. “It’s
my favourite movie of the year and I haven’t even
seen the competition yet. Matthew directing,
Jane writing, Colin Firth beating up chavs in
pubs. It’s everything I’d pay a tenner to see.

“We created this to save Bank Holiday
Mondays in the future.”

Kingsman: The Secret Service is released on
29 January and reviewed on page 98.

I

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TV PREVIEW

HELIX

TATAU

iZOMBIE

12 MONKEYS

DAREDEVIL

GAME OF THRONES

DA VINCI’S DEMONS

THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!
JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL

NEED SOME COMPELLING REASONS TO
STAY INDOORS? SFX HAS THE INSIDE
WORD ON THE MOST BUZZ-WORTHY
SHOWS HEADING YOUR WAY...

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

■ ij' .-■

THE WALKING DEAD

The survivors are still determined to be hunters
rather than prey in the second half of season five... -

®5^SONs.2

rC.'^

ivJ- ■*

Q&A

DENISE HUTH,

CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

How will the remainder of season five change things
for Rick and his friends?

• Every season of the show, almost every half season,
changes quite a bit. It’s always a different version of the
story as the characters progress and find new places to
be. So I think it’s gonna be exciting. [Season five] is the
first time in a long time they haven’t had a home base.

So it’ll be keeping them constantly on their toes.

How comfortable — and how shellshocked —
will the group become within the safe zone of
Alexandria, Virginia?

• I think it’s just that this is a very different
environment. So not understanding that environment,
like any new place they’ve found, they automatically
are very suspicious. As they are when they meet
anything new. That’s all I’ll say. “This is nice. This is
so civilised for us. We don’t know what to do with
ourselves.” [Laughs.]

Will there be a shift in tone for the second half of
this season?

• There always is. I think every half season it shifts
dramatically as far as the story, the overall goal, where
they are, what they’re aiming to get to. Every eight
episodes it kind of resets... In a way it’s new beginnings,
but it’s new endings, as it always is. They’re always,
always balancing the worst kind of loss versus finding
that thing that gives them hope. Because if they lose
their hope, they’re all done. If they don’t have hope
they all die. So the fact that they’re all still here, they
haven’t lost hope.

Joseph McCabe

.f.

Is that the Human
Centipede Rick Grimes
is hiding from...?

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

TV PREVIEW

/'

Get him nice and
smart- THEN SU
HIM IN BLOOD!

#

... — '■ 't

Wonder how many out of five
the takeaway got from the
Food Standards Agency...

^^ASOiV I

Are zombie fans ready to
embrace an undead heroine
who solves crimes - and only
reluctantly eats brains?

GAME OF THRONES ^

More bloodshed, betrayal and heartbreak await in
the fifth season of HBO’s fantasy phenomenon

^seasons

W INTER IS HERE AND
that can only mean
one thing: a new season
of Game Of Thrones will soon be
upon us.

If the TV show was following the
books to the letter then this would be
a very slow season. Luckily watchers
of George RR Martin’s epic saga won’t
suffer the same absence of characters
that readers did, as events from both
A Feast For Crows and A Dance With
Dragons (the latest book) will feature.
There’s also a likelihood of us seeing
beyond the timeline of the books, a
precedent already set in season four.

Major events to look out for
include the introduction of the Sand
Snakes, the bastard daughters of
season four favourite Oberyn Martell,
and their intrigues in Dome. We’ll
also see Cersei’s walk of shame
and maybe even some revelations
about her childhood during the first
flashbacks of the series. With Charles
Dance confirmed to be returning this

seems like a strong possibility. That
or we’ll just get a good long look at
his corpse.

We’ll also see Arya across the
Narrow Sea and Tyrion on the run. If
season five catches up with the books
then Tyrion’s plot will introduce
Young Griff, who we can’t say more
about as even mentioning him feels
like a spoiler. Sadly there will be no
Hodoring this year as Bran and co
are confirmed to be taking a break in
season five. Hodor!

The biggest shocks of the year
could come at The Wall and would
make an excellent way to end the
season on a cliffhanger taller than
the icy behemoth itself. One major
challenge the writers face is the
infamous Mereenese Knot that is
Daenerys’s plot in Essos. Will we see
Are and blood, or will the plotline
continue to meander at a glacially
slow pace? Right now we know less
than Jon Snow, but we can’t wait to
And out... Bridie Roman

DIANE RUGGIERO,

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

With traditional zombies so popular just now, was
there ever a concern that a lighter spin on the genre
could land like a dead body?

• To be honest, it scared the crap out of me at first
because I was worried zombie fans were going to hate
us. But once we got into it, [we realised] the concept is
so unusual and cool. I loved what we were coming up
with. And why not open it up? I’m a huge The Walking
Dead fan, but we’re not trying to do that. I think our
spin is really cool. First of all the main character is
having a quarter-life crisis and she’s dead. And this
thing is happening to her she can’t tell anyone about.

So Liv Moore (played by Rose Mclver) is your cute,
undead heroine who was turned into a zombie but
she can still pass as human by eating brains?

• Yeah, it’s like doing a zombie show with really
attractive people [laughs]. You want a sexy show. We’re
not ever going to compete with The Walking Dead with
gore and violence.

She’s a med student, so she gets her meals on the
job, and solves their unresolved deaths?

• Yes, the procedural aspect of her getting the
memories of the person whose murder you
^re trying to solve is unique. The investment
is so personal. She’s experiencing what
the person experienced. For example, if a
person was pushed off a balcony to their
murder, she feels what it was like to take
* the splat. And then she has to, as a layman,
pursue justice for that person.

Does she get full memories?

• No, she gets little inspired splashes of memory.
Usually the flashes that she gets are intense moments,
not like someone scrambling an egg, or like in Being
John Malkovich and jumping into him when he’s on the
toilet [laughs]. Tara Bennett

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

The BBC adapts Susanna
Clarke’s epic novel about
magicians in an alternate
19th century England f

*P«n9rec
^ Tec

PETER HARNESS, WRITER

The original novel is huge - over 1,000 pages. How
much did you have to cut it down for TV?

• I’m hard-pressed to think of anything that we left
out, actually. Lord Byron isn’t in it, and that’s about the
only thing. But I don’t really think there’s anything that
happens in the book which doesn’t happen in the TV
series, though it doesn’t necessarily happen in the order
that it happens in the book. For some reason, it’s been
easier to get it all in, and I can’t really understand why!

It was originally planned as six episodes, not seven,
wasn’t it?

• Yes, but it became clear it wouldn’t fit into six without
chopping some big bits, and no one really wanted
to chop it, so we’ve ended up not doing that. I can’t
actually think of any compromises we’ve made.

To what extent have you drawn on the dialogue
from the book?

• Susanna Clarke writes such fantastic dialogue that
it’s a shame not to use it when you can, so well over half
of the dialogue is Susanna’s. There’s a lot of humour in
it. I’ve also tried to preserve her narrative voice, here
and there.

What’s the approach to the magic? Can we expect
much in the way of CGI spectacle?

• We’ve always been very aware of doing magic for
magic’s sake. Whenever there’s been a sequence which
doesn’t feel that it’s got an emotional reason to be there,
it’s ended up going. You can spend £10 or £100 million
on a sequence like that, and that often happens in films.
And it just falls totally flat. It’s not as exciting as two
people having an argument, or something like that.
We’ve tried to really tie it into the characters and the
emotions of the characters. Ian Berriman

Lack of chairs could &
be a problem in the ^
19th century.

'itemagazines.co.uk/sfx

TV PREVIEW

The debate about whether
to paint a woman called
Mona Lisa continued.

I !!' I K

A new showrunner promises less fanciful fantasy
and more realistic character drama...

Silly religious costumes ^ ^ jfe

are nothina new

\ \ \

You’d look nervous too ^
if Becher’s Brook was
your next jump.

- ’

j^A

JOHN SHIBAN, SHOWRUNNER

What changes have you brought to the show?

• Its been like launching a new show, and we’ve
looked at it that way. Everyone from creator and
original showrunner David Goyer to the actors were
like, “Look, we’ve mastered the action/adventure
Leonardo thing but this series still has a lot of potential
in a lot of areas. What’s your take on it?” So I came

in and told them and they said, “Yeah, let’s do that.” I
wanted to ground it a little. I wanted this show to get
a little more realistic and less like a fantasy. To bring
the audience deeper into the story so that instead
of watching a movie and you’re outside watching
superheroes, you’re on the inside watching people you
can understand in situations that are dangerous - truly
dangerous. Also I wanted to look into the character
relationships. I like to think of the characters in the first
two seasons as in a kind of adolescence. Because when
you’re in your adolescence you think you’re invincible,
you can do anything, you can run around the world to
do crazy stuff.

There was certainly a lot of crazy stuff in season
two, with Leo going to South America to become a
kind of Renaissance Indiana Jones...

• Right. But then when you make that transition into an
adult, you have to take responsibility for what you do.

So season three is when they grow up.

Season two ended on a cliffhanger. Were you left
with any instructions on how to get out of it?

• No. That was a challenge. They left us with “The
Ottomans are coming, Leo’s going to blow them up but,
look, there’s Leo’s mum right in the middle of them!”
And it was like: “What are you gonna do with that? Go!”

Dave Colder

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

Sun, sand and one gnarly
tattoo: meet BBC Three’s
New Zealand-set Maori
murder mystery...

RICHARD ZAJDLIC.
SHOWRUNNER

So where did your interest in Maori culture
come from?

• All my life I’ve been obsessed with ancient cultures
like the Egyptians, the Mayans, the Greeks and the
Maoris. I love those mythic landscapes and I think that
whole area, those legends, it feels really untapped at the
moment. This show will introduce us to that world in a
whole new way.

How did the idea for a TV show spring from your
interest in Maori culture?

• I originally had an idea about two guys backpacking
in the Cook Islands where one of them is snorkelling in
the sea and basically gets involved in a murder mystery.
From there it mushroomed into something more than
just a murder mystery - something elemental. It starts
quite normally, but slowly opens up and peels back the
layers to reveal a much darker and deeper side to that
culture, to those myths, to the whole sense of island life.

Who are backpacking best buds Kyle and Budgie?

• They’re just two average Joes and really great mates.
Go to any pub in England and you’ll meet them. But
both of them have secrets in their past that slowly
come to light. The actors have a good double act going
between them, so there’s humour throughout, but it
does get dark because the stakes are really high. They
risk everything to try and discover the truth of what’s
happening. And it becomes increasingly apocalyptic
towards the end...

How central is Kyle’s tattoo to the mystery?

• So Kyle has this tattoo, which he designed himself,
because he thought it looked good, but when he gets
to the island he realises from the reaction of the locals
that the symbols he’s drawn on himself actually mean
something he had no idea about. It’s a rites of passage,
where he wakes up in a big way and realises that there’s
a whole area of stuff he had absolutely no idea about,
not only about the island, but about himself.

Jordan Farley

\

iTV PREVIEW

.

...\

season 2

5 ^"

HELIX

Year 2 of Helix heats up,
taking the show’s scientist
heroes to a^jungle island...

\

r

\
\

f

\

V

\

H

V

I

QSA sm

STEVEN MEDEA, SHOWRUNNER

Helixes first season felt inspired by
The Thing. Season two seems to be
in the tradition of The Island Of
Doctor Moreau...

■A • Yeah, absolutely. Our idea going

. ■ in was, “Let’s try to mix it up and
; ■ ■' take our same cast — add some new
characters — and bring the group
into a new place, dealing with a new
pathogen.” Last year we discovered
these immortal characters were
behind the whole thing. We’ve
brought all that with us for a really
interesting season, learning more
about this company that these
immortals run and what’s going on on
this island.

You have two major new cast
additions this season — Matt Long
and Steven Weber.

• Matt Long is a new member of the
CDC team, and like everyone else
on our show has ulterior motives.

Steven Weber’s character lives on the
island and has a murky background
and is tied into some of the things
from the first season. He plays the
leader of this cult, this quasi-religious
movement that has lived on the island
for generations. He’s conducting all
sorts of unsavoury experiments.

Will each episode of the show
continue to represent a day in the
lives of its characters?

• Correct. We’re doing a 13- day story,
because we really like the intensity of
doing it one day at a time. But we’re
also going to be playing around in
time a little bit. We’re going to be
jumping forward and back, filling
in some backstory, but also flashing
forward to events. One of the great
things about doing a show with
immortal characters is that they look
the same in future years!

Joseph McCabe

SFX

March 2015

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

f: - f BOOR JICKETS NpVtf \

- DoctorWhoExperience.com 0844 801 ^279

BSC low €> BBC 1998. Doctor W1ioIo0d€> BBC 2012. TABDtS jmtos O SBC 1983. Ucensod bg BBC WorUwlde.

TV PREVIEW

Well, they worked for
Elton John.

DAREDEVIL

Marvel’s radar-powered crusader opens up a
new front for the mighty Marvel empire...

G et set to explore one

of the less desirable zipcodes
of the Marvel Universe in
new Netflix show Daredevil
It’s the first strike in Marvel’s
scheme to build a grittier, more
street- level world for its heroes, far
removed from the cosmic stakes of its
blockbuster movies. And Daredevil’s
an obvious choice to bring urban
justice to the small screen: the Man
Without Fear operates in Hell’s
Kitchen in New York, setting for some
of the most brutal and evocative tales
in comic book history. The show has
been filming on location in the city,
favouring the decaying alleyways of
Brooklyn and Long Island for that
authentic Frank Miller vibe.

Developed for television by Drew
Goddard - who’s written the opening
episodes - and showrun by Spartacus
supremo Steven S DeKnight,
Daredevil also promises to bring us
a more morally complex take on the
Marvel milieu, filled with flawed,
ethically ambiguous characters.

“There are no heroes or villains,” says
DeKnight. “It’s just people making
different choices.”

Boardwalk Empire’s Charlie Cox
is lawyer-turned-vigilante Matt
Murdock, blinded by radioactive
waste as a boy but using his enhanced
senses - and lethal way with a billy
club - to fight the rotten core of the
Big Apple. True Blood’s Deborah Ann
Woll is enigmatic love interest Karen
Page while Elden Henson brings
the bromance as Foggy Murdock,
Murdock’s law partner and best bud.

While De Knight may claim it’s a
villain-free zone there are certainly
some familiar antagonists from the
comics world. Vincent D’Onofrio
is Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin, a
businessman with designs on Hell’s
Kitchen. And Bob Gunton is Leland
Owlsley, known as supervillain the
Owl in the comic books.

Here’s the good news: all 13
episodes of Daredevil will drop
simultaneously. Binge without fear!
Nick Setchfield

DLACK

A new group of clones
complicate things for Sarah and
her sisters in Orphan Black’s
third season...

GRAEME MANSON & JOHN
FAWCETT, SHOWRUNNERS

You unveiled the idea of a male clone at the end of
season two. How many will we see in season three?

JF: Well, obviously it’s Project Leda and Project Castor
— they’re bound to be vastly different. These guys are
military. So I doubt that they’ve been raised with the
same sort of social metric as the other clones. They’re
probably not at all like that. They probably have been
monitored and coddled in the same kind of way.

GM: Our story, though, is kind of Sarah’s story, most
often from her point of view, with her trying to solve
the mystery. So this is a new puzzle piece and it’s about
how this allows us to add more clues to the bigger
picture of her backstory.

Will Sarah get more involved in trying to learn more
about the conspiracy?

JF: I think that the desire to run is still strong. We’ll
just have to see what lines up to keep her here on
their story. I don’t think it’s any less dangerous at
all [laughs].

GM: No, it’s no less dangerous. But she does have
a new, fairly powerful ally in [Michelle Forbes’]

Bowles. So that’s kind of helpful in terms of feeling
like there’s a little bit of a safety net, even though...

Do we trust Marion Bowles? Do you trust anyone on
our show really?

In season two, we found out there’s a bit more to
Kira than we were expecting. How will that unfold
in season three?

JF: We’ve begun talking about digging a little deeper
into what it is that makes Kira special. Is it scientiflc?
Is it more esoteric? Is it the human intangibles, or
is it her biology? They’re all fascinating things that
we’re bouncing back and forth really. But it’s deflnitely
something we want to look into. Joseph McCabe

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

TERRY MATALAS & TRAVIS
PICKETT, CO-EXECUTIVE
PRODUCERS

Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys is so well-loved - were
you concerned that you were trying to adapt
hallowed ground?

TF: Our initial instinct was “Don’t do it”, because we
were huge fans of the movie. But when we started to dig
into it and go back and read David and Janet Peoples’
original script and look at the thriller aspect of what is
really a whodunit conspiracy, we figured out there is
a way to do this as a serialised, gritty time travel show
that’s very different from the movie. It’s not Terry
Gilliam’s dissertation on sanity.

TM: You can’t do the movie again. It’s a finite story
that’s close- ended. Even if we remade that into a pilot,
we’d have nowhere to go. We had to open up the story
and that world and make some key changes to the
mythology and the characters.

12 MONKEYS

Can a big-screen
classic be remade
into a time-travel
thriller worth
revisiting?

What are some of those changes?

TF: In the movie you don’t spend a lot of time in that
future and in the series you will. We open up the
post apocalypse and dig into the story of Cole [Aaron
Stanford]. In the movie, he is plucked out of this
prison and you aren’t sure why he is there. We have a
similar set-up here but his backstory, and his arc, are
pivotal to the redemption story that we are trying to
tell in the series.

Is the global virus still in play?

TF: Yes, Cole is out to save the lives of seven billion
people and stop this plague. But what you quickly
realise is that in order to survive this apocalypse he had
to do these horrible things to survive. It’s really about
saving himself. If he changes history and time, he’ll
undo about 30 years of really horrible living. But what
you will find out at the end of the first season is that the
plague and the virus is not the worst thing to happen to
humanity. Something else was... Tara Bennett

I

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March 2015

SFX

March 2015

V Q&A

RICHARD TAYLOR, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

What’s been the most challenging
aspect of recreating Thunderbirds
for a new audience?

• The biggest challenge for me has
been my fandom. It would be easier
if I wasn’t a fan of the original show
because I wouldn’t be torn between
the realities of modern-day television
and what’s required of it to meet a
child’s expectations and what was
done originally by the Andersons.
That’s an ongoing inner turmoil when
you’re a fan trying to bring something
new, a reinterpretation, to life.

We know the Tracys are still the
same and that Lady Penelope and
Parker are still around, but what
about some of the other characters

- Tin-Tin, the Hood, etc?

• Yes, the Hood is still the Hood.

He’s not as specific racially as in the
original, but I feel that we’ve created
a very dynamic “baddie” in our Hood.
Tin-Tin is an interesting one. She’s a
challenge because of how name aware
the Herge Tintin has become in the
world. That’s the one character we’ve
had a name change on.

Will we see any nods to original
characters or situations from the
original series?

• Everything has been inspired by
the bible for the original show, but
we can’t be canon to the original
show. With the International Rescue
costumes, we’ve kept to the iconic

sash, the iconic colour ranges, and we
just turned what was decorative in
the original show into an ergonomic
part of their rescue kit. We’ve taken
the trouble to design our vehicles
within the accepted design aesthetic
of the original series and incorporate
many of the recurrent features
seen throughout the show - the
overhanging noses, the large wheels,
the skirtings covering the wheels -
without quelling the creative ardour
of our designers.

Any sequels planned for episodes
from the original series?

• [Winking] I can’t talk about that
right now.

Anthony Taylor

TV PREVIEW

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Unfortunately, someone had
forgotten to order a boat.

Fiftf*years on. International Rescue returns as ITV relaunches the Gerry Anderson classic;

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TV PREVIEW

MARVEL’S ’40S FIREBALL BRINGS
FEMALE POWER TO THE SMALL SCREEN.
TARA BENNETT TALKS
WITH STAR HAYLEY ATWEEl?

a.GENT CARTER

W HERE HAVE ALL THE

great TV spy women gone? Emma
Peel. Nikita. Sydney Bristow. That
singular breed of female hero who
effortlessly combined courage and
style, glamour and a killer right hook. Good
news: she’s back. Meet the heir apparent to the
she-spy genre: Agent Peggy Carter.

You know her already, of course. Peggy was
a major player in Captain America: The First
Avenger, tore our hearts out with a cameo in
The Winter Soldier and had an acclaimed One-
Shot solo adventure on the Iron Man 3 Blu-
ray. More recently she appeared in flashback
on Agents Of SHIELD, helping to found that
clandestine agency in the wake of Captain
America’s wartime disappearance.

Embodied by Blighty’s very own Hayley
Atwell, Peggy may bring a unique dose of
British reserve to the Marvel Universe but
she can wipe the floor with anyone who gets
in her way. Now she’s earned her own eight
episode series. Debuting this month in the US,
ABC’s Agent Carter is set in 1946 and relocates
Peggy to the States where she’s working for

the Strategic Scientiflc Reserve (SSR). Still
grieving the loss of Steve Rogers, she flnds
there’s more than enough bad guys and
nefarious schemes to keep her occupied.

“She’s actually a triple agent,” Atwell tells
SFX by phone, sitting in the make-up chair for
her transformation into a noirish ’40s heroine.
“She’s got the telephone company [as a front
job], the SSR and then she’s asked very quickly
to go undercover with Howard Stark (Dominic
Cooper) to secretly assist him. She’s constantly
in survival mode, having to make sure she
covers herself at all costs.”

If that’s not challenge enough, Peggy’s also
got post-war era sexism and social conventions
to flght. “Although she’s meant to be an agent,
she’s been demoted to doing admin and
getting lunch and coffee for people so she’s
having to prove her worth again in the office.

It’s another obstacle for her from doing what
she’s destined to do, which is be a spy and to
carry on the work of Steve Rogers, who is her
great love and someone she aspires to be. She’s
capable of going on missions and doing great
work yet you have some pedantic frustrations’^

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

CAMERA PRESS / DAVID TITLOW

from the men around her who won’t give her
the work that she should be doing.”

Atwell says Peggy is careful “not to lose her
job, so she has to placate them yet does that
in a witty way She pokes fun at them without
getting into too much trouble. She’s highly
intelligent so she uses her wit to counteract
their remarks without them realising it. It’s
fun to watch.”

Two men in the series she doesn’t have to
kowtow to - in fact they’re her strongest allies
- are Stark and his fussy valet, Edwin Jarvis
(James D’Arcy). With Stark on the run from
a trumped up weapons trafficking charge, he
enlists Jarvis to assist Peggy in helping to clear
his name. “She’s very close to Stark in that she
respects him as a pilot and an inventor,” Atwell
says of their complex friendship. “She knows
his worth but she hates his womanising.

But that doesn’t interrupt the fact that she has
tremendous respect for him and he does for
her. For Stark, she’s probably the only woman
in his life that he doesn’t see as a sex object.
She just happens to be a woman and that’s a
special relationship.”

As for Jarvis, Atwell admits their
relationship is shaping up to be one of the
highlights of the series. “The crew has been
enjoying watching as we improvise lines
of banter back and forth. We’re sparring ,

I suppose, with language. We’re also both
British and incredibly sarcastic and cynical
towards each other. She makes fun of him
being a stiff upper lip British man who is in
no way capable of the things she is capable
of, but at the same time he’s the one who
starts to ask. What cost is this mission
putting you through?’ He encourages her
to remember that she is human. And he
recognises how lonely she is deep down.

He brings those moments out of her
but then she has to go back to work
mode Peggy because she knows
she breaks, she might not come
back again.”

THE AGENDA

Exploring those moments
of vulnerability is another
hugely satisfying aspect of the
series for Atwell. “What makes her
stand alone is that she doesn’t have
any superpowers. She’s an exceptional
spy and code breaker. She has a lot of
military training from her experience in
the war. Her intelligence is that she has
to use her environment and the props
around her to counteract her enemies.

She’s trained in combat and artillery
training to escape situations but there’s
also her blind courage. But that also means
she can’t really get close to anyone.

“We also see there’s a cost for being so
strong. And that’s exciting for me as an actor
because I get to show different sides to her.

I think I’ve cried about four times already
as Peggy. You see her break down because
of frustrations at work, from Steve or being
misunderstood. Plus a very big thing will be
revealed to her and she feels an element of

Atwell managed to
sneak Peggy in to
Agents Of SHIELD.

betrayal that so affects her core she goes on a
rampage. It’s what makes this series so special
and powerful. We get to see she’s not always
strong, because no one is. She is very human
and underneath the surface of someone
with that British reserve, she’s paddling
like crazy all the time. It has to be released
somewhere for it to be real otherwise
people will see her as a robot.”

Atwell says she’s grateful that her
showrunners, Tara Butters, Michele
Fazekas and Chris Markus, share her
desire to reveal these different facets
of Peggy. “Tara and Michelle are two
powerhouse women who are very funny
and very sharp,” Atwell enthuses. “To
have them as showrunners feels like
women are well-represented here. Fans
will also see strong characters in Angie
Martinelli (Lyndsy Fonseca), who is my
friend and roommate and a couple of
other characters who are fantastic women,
including Carter’s landlady (Meghan Frye)
and Dottie (Bridget Regan).”

Sounds like Agent Carter will be
powered by a strong female ensemble, still a
comparative rarity in today’s TV landscape.
“Funnily enough, on social media there were
still some comments like Tt’s still such a man’s
world’ and ‘There are only a few women in a
whole cast of men and I thought it would be

different show!”’ SFX senses Atwell bristle.
“What they don’t know is the number of
female crew that we have. In a scene yesterday,
there were 17 people in this one office scene
with cast and crew. For some reason, I counted
and there were 10 men and seven women who
were in really strong positions in the crew.
There are a lot of women running this show
and we are well represented and I think we
will grow. We’ve got a female hero and that’s
a quiet revolution in Hollywood which will
hopefully encourage other women to step
forward in essential roles.”

Atwell also hopes a Marvel TV show
focused on a female character might impact,
gender-wise, on the studio’s big screen
strategy. “What’s great about the television
show is that it’s essentially four films of
screen time. It also gives me a chance to have
a stronger arc for the character. I do think it’s
going to start the ball rolling on having other
roles for women in the Marvel Universe, even
though they have strong females already with
Black Widow and Pepper Potts. I wouldn’t be
surprised if more came along and had their
own features. And if Peggy Carter was
invited to have her own film, I would be
100% on board with that because it’s a much
needed and supported idea.”

Marvel is already committed to placing
Peggy in upcoming movie adventures Ant-Man

TV PREVIEW

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

ALL IMAGES © MARVEL

and Avengers: Age ofUltron. How much does
Atwell know of her place in the bigger picture?

“I’m not privy to a lot of it because they
are creating it as they go along. They don’t
have a five-year plan with Peggy so they take
it step by step, listening to what the audience
responds to. It’s a dialogue between Marvel
and the audience and how they can exceed
expectations by giving them even more. For
example, we just started episode six, which I
got the script for two or three days ago. I still
don’t know what’s going to happen in seven or
eight. It’s not me being coy or just saving my
ass by saying I don’t know. I really don’t and I
quite like that because I can just focus on the
work ahead of me.”

Atwell knows that Peggy Carter is a
character with an envious amount of potential.
“It makes me feel hopeful because we’ve seen
in Winter Soldier that she’s 96 and she says
she’s had a full life. She had a family so we
know she not only survived but she lived an
extraordinarily rich and varied life. What that
means is that she can always pop up. That’s
exciting to me because you don’t get that in
any other franchise really. What other job
allows you to revisit a character over years
and years and years?”

MarveVs Agent Carter is shown in the US on
ABC. British broadcaster is still TBC.

AGENT CARTER

THE HEROINE
^ TRADED

Executive Producer Jeph
Loeb talks Agent Carter

Audiences know Peggy Carter from the
movies. How did bringing her to TV differ from
the deveiopment of Agents Of SHIELD?

There were a lot chefs but in this case I think it
helped bring together an extraordinary story
and dialogue. And because it’s an eight-part
series, you could tell a story with a beginning,
middle and an end. It’s very different when
you’re looking down the tunnel of 22 episodes
which is a standard broadcast window.

Does this show integrate with the wider
Marvei universe or is it another One-Shot?

Both and neither. As we have often said, it’s all
connected. We’re telling a story in that world if
the studio was involved or not. It’s a big boon
for our fans but at the same token Agent
Carter needs to be, and is, a television series
that if you have never seen anything by Marvel
- and we know there are two or three people in
Borneo that haven’t - then you still understand
it and e n jo y it.

Are you confident there’ii be a second series?

At the end of the day, it’s the network’s
decision of whether they want to continue and
it will be made in conjunction with how big of
an audience we have. Creatively in terms of the
writing staff, our showrunners and our
extraordinary cast, we’d be happy to do two
more or 100 more.

Peggy has an epic iife. Are you commited to
the ’40s/’50s setting or wiii you jump decades?

It’s a really smart question. The short answer is
yes, we’ve talked about trying to figure out if
the next one would take place next day or

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Caose)

> encountefis ^

FACE TO FACE WITH THE BIGGEST STARS

Candice Patton

The Flash’s Iris West on nerdy yearnings
and Grant Gustin’s tight red costume

» WORDS BY JOSEPH MCCABE

L aunching the Silver Age of comics alongside super- speedster
beau Barry Allen in 1956, few leading ladies have had the
longevity of Iris West. That’s a fact not lost on Candice Patton,
the fresh-faced actress who plays the beloved comic book
character in TV adaptation The Flash. When SFX first meets
Patton during a break in shooting the hit show, she welcomes us
with a smile that generates just as much lightning as a certain
particle accelerator explosion. And after we mention we’ve met
her character’s co-creator, the late comic artist Carmine Infantine,
her eyes widen and her hand races to her mouth as though we’ve
demonstrated superpowers of our own. Patton herself has little need
for such powers, having already appeared in 20 different TV shows
and movies by the age of 26. But of all the roles she’s played, it’s the
woman behind The Fastest Man Alive who most closely matches
her own fervour for life...

OIODPiri:i

» OCCUPATION: Actor
I BORN: 24 June 1988
I FROM: Jackson,
Mississippi

GREATEST HITS: The

Young And The Restless,
Entourage, Castle, Heroes,
One Tree Hill, CSI: Miami,
The Flash

RANDOM FACT: She

was scouted for a CBS
Soap Star Contest whiie
stiii at coiiege.

As a blogger, Iris has come to represent fans of
The Flash...

That’s the perfect description of what Iris represents.

In episode six, the villain Girder even refers to Iris as a
fangirl. She’s such a fan of The Flash, and she’s a blogger.

I can see how that speaks to the fan who tweets and blogs
about our show. Iris is just so passionate. She is a fangirl,
and that’s fun to play. It’s great to see her have something
she can be proud of waking up and doing every morning.
It’s great to see Iris find her passion.

Are you a fan of science fiction or fantasy?

> Yeah, of course. I’m not gonna say that I’m a huge
sci-fi nerd. I know there are people who can totally out- nerd me.
[Laughs.] But I love shows like Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I was
a huge Lost fan. I love anything that deals with time
travel. I’m a big nerd for that kind of stuff. I’m
excited to maybe get to do that on our show.

I look up to actresses like Zoe Saldana. I want
to be in movies like Star Trek and Guardians
Of The Galaxy. I want to play Storm one day.

“We can actually be
brave In our lives
without superpowers”

These are all things that I’ve dreamed of doing. So to be on a show
like The Flash... When this audition came in, I was like, “I want this
so bad.”

What was your reaction upon first seeing Grant Gustin in his
Flash costume?

^ “Are you” — expletive — “kidding me?!” Because we’d been working
on the show and had ideas about what the Flash suit was gonna look
like, but I’d only seen him as Grant. Then to see him in the suit... I had
an Iris moment where I was kind of geeking out. I was like, “Oh my
God, I’m standing next to The Flash! This is the coolest thing ever!”
When I’m shooting scenes with Grant in the suit it feels very different
than when I’m shooting scenes with him as Barry. There’s something
very sexy and exciting about being next to The Flash.

In real life, would you be drawn towards Barry or The Flash?

I probably would be more intrigued with Barry, to be honest. I’m not
really into the show- stopping kind of guy. I think Iris is too, and that’s
why she’s attracted to the Flash. The Flash is almost a heightened
version of Barry, with the confidence he seems to lack at this point in
his life. She’s attracted to both of them. She just doesn’t know that it’s
both of them.

Should Iris learn Barry’s secret sooner rather than later?

> Yeah, only because I see Iris as such a smart and assertive young
woman. It’s only a matter of time before she puts two and two
together. Unless Barry, the STAR Labs team, and her father Joe can do
a great job of covering his tracks. But I’d love to get to a point where
Iris is in the know and starts to help more in her own way. It’ll come
down the line. You can’t give away too much too soon or you’ll have
nowhere to go.

If you were a metahuman, what would be your power of choice?

I guess it would be to be invisible. To disappear when I needed to. I
have a tendency to stick my foot in my mouth, and think, “I’d love to
not be here right now!” [Laughs.]

We’ve seen that Iris knows how to throw a punch. Would you like
to see her get more involved in the show’s physical action?

That’s something fans can relate to — we can always dream about
being The Flash, but we can actually be Iris West. We can actually
be brave in our lives without superpowers. That’s something
I love about her: she offers a reality people watching can
identify with.

Some of the show’s other characters have

metahuman alter egos in the comics. But would
you prefer to see Iris remain human?

Yes and no. Yes, because I think it’s important
to the show. Joe West and I are important to the
show because we ground it in reality, and you
need that. But I’m not gonna lie — I’d love to have
super powers. I don’t know that we’ll ever do that,
but it would be nice to have a suit made of... some
kind of leathery material. [Laughs.] ^2^

The Flash is shown in the UK on Sky 1.

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

MARVEL PHASE 3

TO THE

INFINITY

F or all the fierce

competition Warner’s slate of
DC movies is about to deliver
in the superhero movie stakes,
Marvel Studios is entering
the next stage of its masterplan
with a brash level of confidence.

The recently unveiled Phase Three
of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is
bringing us big surprises and long-
awaited character debuts alongside
some inevitable but welcome sequels.
After the risky Guardians Of The
Galaxy paid off, it seems like there’s
nothing Marvel can’t do, and it’s
going to be pushing that enviable
chutzpah to the limit over the next
five years...

CmLWARiip

reieasedatiQM^

DIRECTORS Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
THEPITGH While searching for ex- sidekick
Bucky, Steve Rogers finds that a new
government initiative to control superheroes
pitches him directly against Tony Stark...
THEPROMISE Civil War was one of the most

MARVEL JUST
CLAIMED YOUR

BULLOCK HAS THE

MARVEL PHASE 3

popular comic events of the 2000s and fits
perfectly with the mix of superhero action and
political thriller the Russo Brothers achieved
in The Winter Soldier. Civil War was also an
immense saga that’d be difficult to condense
into a single movie, so we’re likely to get a
very loose adaptation, especially since the
: “revealing secret identities” plotline isn’t
. really an issue in the MCU. With Robert
' Downey Jr signed on in a significant
capacity. Civil War’s Captain America/
Iron Man conflict will seemingly be the
heart of the film - and with Chris Evans
approaching the end of his current six- film
contract, it’s not impossible for this plotline
to eventually lead into the MCU’s own take on
the Death Of Captain America.

RELEASEDAnil]

DIRECTOR Scott Derrickson
THE PITCH Disgraced surgeon Stephen
Strange finds a new lease of life when he
discovers the magical arts and becomes the
Sorcerer Supreme...

THE PROMISE strange is already being
referred to as a “key character” in the MCU,
but the tonal shift to full-on mystical fantasy
could give Marvel its biggest potential
challenge since Guardians Of The Galaxy.
While reports suggest this isn’t being pitched
as an origin film, the writers will undoubtedly
look to the mind-bending mid-’60s stories
that introduced villains like Baron Mordo and
Dormammu - tales you might imagine may
be too bizarre for mainstream audiences to
handle (but then they said that about talking
raccoons...). Steve Englehart’s run in the
’70s hinted at ways of balancing psychedelic
fantasy with traditional superhero action,
while 2007 miniseries The Oath, written by
Saga’s Brian K Vaughan, probably gives the
best idea of how to bring believable emotional
depth to a character prone to declaring “By
the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!”

MARVEL PHASE 3

GUARDIANS OF
THEGALAXY2

XRELEASEDATE5MAV20n

XDIREGfOR James Gunn

XIHEPlfCH Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket

and Groot encounter more intergalactic

mayhem, while Thanos continues his plans for

conquest of the universe...

XTHE PROMISE This much-anticipated follow-
up will explore the identity of Star-Lord’s
father, although Gunn has already confirmed
that he won’t be using Quill’s comic book
origin, where his dad is King J’son of Spartax.
Gunn also stresses that he won’t be laying
groundwork for 2018’s Avengers: Infinity
War here, but he’ll doubtlessly be looking to
expand Marvel’s cosmic frontier. Remember
the mysterious cocoon spotted among the
Collector’s artefacts that matches the one used
by Adam Warlock in the comics? A space-
bound super-powered messiah with some
notable identity issues. Warlock was a pivotal
character in the original Infinity Gauntlet
storyline from the 1990s, and the looser,
wackier world of the Guardians could be the
ideal place to introduce him. Now all we need
is a longer appearance from Howard the Duck
and we’ll be happy.

TH0R:RAGNAR0K

XRELEASEDATE2RJULV2017
XIHE PITCH The nefarious Loki is presumed
dead but secretly ruling Asgard in disguise as
Odin, and it’s time for a conclusive showdown
with his adoptive brother Thor...
XTHEPROMISE with a title referencing
the mythic Norse apocalypse, and Chris
Hemsworth nearing the end of his current
contract as Thor, this Marvel sequel has
a potential air of finality to it. There’s no
shortage of epic conflicts in the Thor comics,
but if the screenwriters are sensible they’ll
look to writer/artist Walter Simonson’s
acclaimed run in the 1980s, and especially
the battle between the Thunder God and
the fire demon Sutur. Of course, Ragnarok
was also the name of the dangerous Thor
clone created during the Civil War storyline,
meaning Marvel could potentially be adding
an “Evil Twin” plotline into the mix. Whatever
happens, there’s the opportunity for further
developments in the quest for the Infinity
Gems, while Tom Hiddleston will once again
get the chance to steal the show.

XRELEASEDATE3N0VEMBER2017

XTREPITCR In the isolationist, technologically
advanced African country of Wakanda,
T’Challa is the super- smart, powerful warrior
king known as the Black Panther...
XTREPROMISE with Marvel’s previous record
in onscreen diversity featuring a lot of white
guys named Chris, it has been in need of a
project like Black Panther, and by casting the
impressive Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa
Marvel has taken a big step in the right
direction. We’ll first see Boseman in action in
Captain America: Civil War, and since Black
Panther has been a Marvel regular since 1966
(making him the first mainstream American
black superhero), there’s no shortage of source
material. The late ’90s run from Christopher
Priest features plenty of potential storylines,
but the likeliest inspiration is the 2005 story
“Who Is The Black Panther?” Written by
filmmaker Reginald Hudlin, it’s one of the
best modern-day jumping-on points for the
character - and Hudlin is also already being
rumoured as a possible Black Panther director.

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

ALBERTO E RODRIGUEZ/GETTY (1). ALL OTHER IMAGES ©MARVEL

THE

MARVEL COMICS GROUP

^7^

TNITY WAR

PART 1
MAY 2018

PART 11
MAY 2019

CAm\h\

/mRVEl

UUi- 'T &. a □ I B

MARVEL PHASE 3

INHUMANS

XRELEASEDAIE2N0VEMBER2018

XTHEPITGHa race of powerful superhumans
lives among us, descended from alien
experiments, and ruled over by a mysterious
and cunning royal family in the city of Atillan...
X THE PROMISE Currently pitched as the
Marvel Universe’s answer to the familial
conflict and backstabbing of Game Of Thrones,
the Inhumans are one of Stan Lee and Jack
Kirby’s oddest creations. They’ve been
around since 1965, and there’s deflnite movie
source material in the impressive 1998-9
Inhumans miniseries by Paul Jenkins and Jae
Lee. Marvel has recently used the ongoing
title Inhumanity to angle the Inhumans as
possible substitutes/replacements for the
X-Men (potentially getting around the tricky
issue of screen rights to the word mutant...).
2013’s Infinity saw the Inhuman race greatly
expanded thanks to a “Terrigen Bomb”, a
plot device which could easily end up in the
film, and this would also open up a potential
appearance from Kamala Khan, the latest and
hugely popular incarnation of Ms Marvel.

AVENGERS: INFINITY

WAR PART TWO

AVENGERS: INFINITY

WAR PART ONE

XRELEASEDATE4MAV2018

X THE PITCH Thanos will likely complete his
search for the Infinity Gems here, meaning
trouble for the whole Marvel Universe...
XTHEPROMISE The first two-part saga from
Marvel Studios has a tremendous amount of
set-up to pay off, and will undoubtedly riff
heavily on the 1991 miniseries The Infinity
Gauntlet and its sequel The Infinity War,
as well as 20I3’s epic Thanos- centric event
Infinity. Current rumours suggest Downey Jr
may be the only member of the established
Avengers line-up present here, and that this
film may see him recruiting an all-new band
of heroes to face Thanos. With Joss Whedon
likely to move on from Marvel after Age Of
Ultron, the favourite directorial choices are
Captain America 2 and 3 helmers the Russo
Brothers, and this could be the start of an
amazing blockbuster adventure - as long as
they can make Thanos truly scary, and not just
a strange purple bloke sitting in a space-chair.

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XRELEASEDAn3MAV2019

X THE PITCH Everything ends here, as the final
showdown between the heroes of the Marvel
Universe and the forces of Thanos brings
Phase Three to a close.

XTHEPROMISE It’s a safe bet that this will
not only be the finale to the Infinity War
two-parter, but also something of a climax to
the MCU’s previous II years of adventures.

If the groundwork has been laid correctly,
there’s the chance for this to be a gigantic
blockbuster that truly captures the
sense of epic scale and multi- stranded
plotting featured in a typical Marvel
“event” comic. Of course, event comic
storytelling can sometimes backfire,
and there’ll also be the issue of keeping
all these disparate elements from
cancelling each other out.

But we have confidence. This
is the studio that made the
impossible expectations of the
first Avengers film work, after
all. Whatever happens. Marvel is
going to have a hell of a challenge
working out what to do next...

CAPTAIN MARVEL

XRELEASEDATEBJULV2018
XTHE PITCH Ambitious airforce pilot Carol
Danvers is caught in an explosion with one
of the alien Kree and inherits its powers,
becoming the superhuman Captain Marvel...
XTHEPROMISE Danvers first appeared in
1968 and gained superpowers as Ms Marvel
in 1977, but some of her history shows the
dodgier side of superhero gender politics
- we still shudder at the infamous “Rape
Of Ms Marvel” plotline in 1980. She
Anally ditched the Ms Marvel tag and
became Captain Marvel in 2012, and
Kelly Sue DeConnick’s acclaimed
run since then is sure to be the main
inspiration, particularly Avengers
crossover story “The Enemy Within”.
Danvers’ current appearances in the
Guardians comic also suggest that an
eventual onscreen team-up may not
be out of the question. As for casting,
fan-favourite choice Katee Sackhoff
may be a long shot but Emily Blunt
would be potentially brilliant.

Scientists be warned: don’t rush
the experiments on this one.
Fusion accidents usuaiiy iead
to the creation of a radioactive
superviiiain.

A wearabie deveiopment in 21st century
trash-taik, punctuating every insuit with an appropriate
sound effect - a chicken, for exampie.

Like everything eise, there’s an app
for it, rendering the waistcoat keyboard thingy redundant
before it’s started.

Don’t compieteiy ruie
them out. it’ii oniy take one hipster to modei the sound
FX vest round London-town and it couid seriousiy take
off (cue rocket iaunch noise).

BAGKTO THE NEAR FUTURE

'$W

O, AFTER 25 YEARS, THE

hoverboard is finally a reality (though it
still doesn’t work on water), transporting us
slightly closer to Back To The Future IPs vision
of... well, the future. But before we reach
21 October 2015, the date Doc and Marty travel to in
the movie, there are many advances humankind still
needs to make. And we’d better hurry up about it
- we’re less than a year away from that fateful date...

ILLI

DEHYDRATED PIZZAS

A CD-Sized pizza is
easiiy enough to feed a famiiy. Two
seconds in the Biack & Decker Hydrator
(a kind of anti-microwave) and it
expands to a whopping 15-incher.

/-/j wjy Astronauts have been
tucking into dehydrated grub since the
1960s. Domesticaiiy, it hasn’t progressed
much past the Pot Noodie.

we’re

probabiy better off without them. A
possibie cure for the worid hunger crisis
might quickiy turn into a worid obesity
crisis. Mmmmm, stuffed crust...

SMART CLDTHES

DDMESTIC FUSIDN
ENERGY

Garbage-
guzziing Mr Fusion answers
our energy and environmentai
probiems, converting everyday
waste into the 1.21 gigawatts
needed for time travei.
Um.^L>Idmk£i Fusion energy
- repiicating the power of the
sun - has been in the works
for decades, though boffins
admit they’re a iong way from
harnessing it, iet aione sticking
it on the car roof.

Don’t worry

about iacing your shoes or
even buying ciothes that fit
properiy - they’ii sort that out
for themseives.

Wearabie
technoiogy (mostiy pocket
phone chargers) is certainiy a
thing but seif-tying shoeiaces
remain eiusive, despite Nike
registering a patent and reieasing
repiica trainers for charity in 2011.

Untii the fashion worid catches
up, we can meet it haifway by
wearing trousers inside out and
rocking two ties at once.

A RETURN TDANALDGUETELECDMS

IkikkiniTiikiiJdd The McFiys circa 2015 might use
videophones (or Skype, as some future peopie caii
them), but they stiii have a fax machine in every room.

Even adding such futuristic features
as, erm, scanning and copying won’t bring the fax
machine back from retro tech heii.

of course, there’s

aiways the chance the iatest iOS update wiii finaiiy send
everyone over the edge and the ensuing meitdown wiii
cause a technoiogicai devoiution.

lkdi~^J!l=§dhiiJ:M Jaws 19 is Hollywood’s newest
holographic blockbuster. Predictably, critics says it’s
“without bite’’.

There have been significant advances
in projecting real-time 3D images, and Apple has had
holographic screens in the works since 2010, making
the “holomax” cinema entirely feasible. Getting another
15 Jaws sequels greenlit before October, however, will
be a tougher sell.

If it happens, movie
marketing will change forever. Who needs viral when
you’ve got a holographic shark terrorising passers by?

Marty arrives via the skyways of Hill
Valley. Don’t look surprised, McFly - everyone knows
flying cars are standard in the future.

A Slovakian company recently
launched a prototype, the AeroMobil 3.0, which can
do lOOmph at altitudes of 9,800ft.

no one’s that

impressed with flying (we’ve had planes for yonks).
What we want are those flippy-round wheels that the
future-DeLorean has. The cruising altitude of cool.

Doc knocks Jennifer
out in seconds with a quick buzz of the
“sleep-inducing alpha rhythm generator’
nfi ff The closest thing we
have is a space-age eye-mask that uses
gradually fading lights to induce sleep.
Not quite the insomnia-busting quick
fix we were hoping for.

A real shame the technology hasn’t
caught up with this one yet. The
gadget would be especially handy
at work, festive family functions and
crowded comic conventions.

nikhi:i=ididiiJ?m Following the dust-repellent paper
boom of the early 2000s, books like the Sports Almanac,
with its retro-style jacket, are something of a collector’s
item. No wonder everyone’s fighting over it.

/-^ ff # jy The development of more practical
and advanced screen technology, such as the handy
folding pocket tablet, has taken precedent over
improving the quality of paper.

Just think of all the

money we’d save on comic bags.

Fingerprint ID is now standard
(useful for identifying passed out time travellers) and
has even replaced the house key.

/-/j We already have Apple Touch ID
and the “smart home” (using your iPad to open the
fridge door etc) is apparently just a few years away.

The downside is

that younger versions of yourself can let themselves
into your house and nose about as they please.

»2c.p-’

\

■S^SsSs*-'

\ec^^' V^

3.c^'

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JUPinR ASCENDING

effects, to levels we hadn’t used before. We
wanted to do our best in a way that was as
seamless as possible. That took quite a bit of
training, research, choreography. To be able to
really get a practical base in a lot of the stunt
work, the visual effects work. We had to work
out Channing’s character, Caine. We knew
we wanted him to be able to propel himself
through the air. But we wanted to do it in a
way that hadn’t been seen before. Then we
came up with this anti-gravity boots concept.
Once we’d done that, we said. Tine, we have a
concept. How does the body move?’ Because
we wanted to be able to capture a lot of that,
and then build the visual effects around it.

“We created this huge half-pipe over in
Berlin, and we had some of the best skaters
in the world. We had rollerbladers, we had
surfers, whatever. Just studying motion.

Then we created practical machines, most
notably two huge revolving treadmills that
were 15 feet in the air, with which you could
actually move in three dimensions. We got to
a point where that worked, then we had to
get Channing trained up, get his bodywork
working, get his double’s. Because in the
movie you see Channing flying through
the buildings of Chicago. We didn’t have
Channing hanging up there, but a lot of that
was based on a stunt double doing all of that
stuff. There was a way to do it with digital
people, and that’s been done very well before.
But by having Channing doing a lot of his
own work, and having his double doing the
more difficult stuff, and then just layering it
together with visual effects, it gave us an old
school physicality to the work.”

Hill says it’s the scene in Jupiter Ascending
most likely to blow audiences away - an
adrenalised six and a half minute action
sequence that occurs shortly after Caine and
Jupiter meet.

“Our big chase through Chicago,” Hill says
proudly, “is just stunning to look at. This
is where we And that Channing is able to
move himself around through space. It was
challenging in a number of areas. In the visual
effects world, we were gonna have twenty- flve
hundred visual effects shots, but we wanted
to use more physical things for the visual
effects to build on. Since they were both going
to be flying through the canyons of the city,
we wanted to make that practical. So we
commissioned a new multi-camera
rig. Then we put that in a
helicopter and trained
a stunt man to
actually

do the movement of Channing, and put him on
the end of a tether line and dropped him down
under a helicopter. We actually did fly that
person through all of that. At the end of it we
ended up with a real Chicago, and everywhere
we went, with any of the digital ships that
were chasing each other around in there, the
environment was totally practical, and all of
the points of view of the city were practical.

“We also did some old-fashioned
enhancement there. It’s a six and a half minute
sequence, and we decided we wanted to do it
at sunset. It meant for those twelve or so days
we’d get up and we’d shoot for an hour as the
sun rose, then we’d go away, and come back
later in the day and shoot for another hour as
the sun set. To give it that wonderful afterglow
look. It’s a lot of planning - to shut the city
down and get helicopters in there all the time.
Then we sort of stitched it all together with
visual effects.”

It’s not all eyeball-bruising widescreen
spectacle, though. Hill is keen to stress that
Jupiter Ascending also has an occasionally
wild sense of humour. This is, after all, a film
in which Sean Bean plays a man who is half-
bee... “We knew what we wanted to create. We
knew we had the narrative, and we hoped that
we had all these environments. We wanted
it to be fun, and we wanted it to be obvious
that some of it was a little tongue-in-cheek.
The humour came out of the naturalism of
the dialogue, and the interaction of the family.
Both the Russian family at the centre of things,
and the Abrasax family. We had fun with it.
The humour is intentional, and a lot of it was
spontaneous on the day. It just adds to the
complexity of the film.”

HEADING TO THE STARS

Hill tells SFX the Wachowskis’ lifelong love of
SF and fantasy cinema fed into the universe of
Jupiter Ascending.

“They obviously have a great interest in, and
grew up watching, a lot of stuff. There
are a lot of space-based Aims.

There are a lot of elements
that come into the
whole sci-fi

thing, and they’ve seen it all, know it all, and
are very conscious of what came before them.
But they also wanted to try and reenvision a
lot of those things, as well as bring in things
that had made some impression and were
formative to them when they were younger.
They drew on pictures like The Wizard Of Oz,
which, when they first saw them, were
so fantastical and so out there
and so charming. There are
definitely elements
of that
in it.”

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

JUPinR ASCENDING

MILA KUNIS’ JUPITER JONES
HAILS FROM A LONG LINE
OF SF SAVIOURS. HERE ARE
FIVE OF OUR FAVES...

ANAKIN SKYWALKER

Star Wars' Tatooine orphan, destined by prophecy
to restore balance to the Force, falls from grace and
terrorises a galaxy - before destroying his evil master,
redeemed by the faith of his Jedi son.

NEO

The Wachowskis’ original Chosen One from The
Matrix. Think of him as a Kung-Fu Jesus, sharing a
penchant for martyrdom and — if the sequel trilogy
rumours are correct - a possible rebirth.

With Guardians Of The Galaxy a box office
phenomenon and Star Wars returning to rule
cinemas this December, Jupiter Ascending
seems poised to ride the crest of a new wave
of big screen space opera.

“There is a great interest in seeing
something new,” says Hill. “As long as you can
run a solid narrative through it, so you have
those other elements that you need as well as
spectacle. There’s an extraordinary amount of
creation and design and excitement in Jupiter,
but at its core is a sibling rivalry story. At the
end of the day it’s a family out to do each

other in for fame and fortune. Under that is
this wonderful love story That’s what makes
a positive cinema-going experience. That’s
the other thing these movies can do — given
the proliferation of various platforms and
ways in which films can be seen, you come up
with something that justifies the trip to get
out there and go and sit in front of a 75 foot
screen and be blown away. It’s an experiential
thing at that point. It’s fun! What could beat
that?”

Jupiter Ascending is released 6 February

PAULATREIDES

A reminder of the dark side of messianism, Frank
Herbert’s “Muad’Dib” uses his powers to lead and
inspire, but his followers want nothing less than a
blood-soaked jihad. His burden is passed on to his
children in Dune's sequels.

SUPERMAN

The ultimate messiah figure in comic books,
informed by religious figures like Moses, Hercules,
and Samson. Kal-el, the last son of Krypton, is his
father’s dying gift to a planet he believes destined
for greatness.

VALENTINE MICHAEL SMITH

The protagonist of Robert Heinlein’s Stranger In A
Strange Land comes to Earth in order to save it as the
cost of his own life, inspiring later stories like The Man
Who Fell To Earth and ET

3fiOU(>Hf to

000

THESFX
WRITER INTERVIEW

Neal Asher

A time of change. Neal Asher talks
transformative fiction and personal politics

» WORDS BY JONATHAN WRIGHT • PORTRAIT BY WILL IRELAND

F or much of the year, Neal Asher lives in the mountains of

Crete, a place where “food and drink are relatively cheap, the
temperature can climb into the 40s and the light is intense.”

In the garden, he grows chili peppers and “all sorts of weird and
wonderful flowers and fruits.” There’s no internet connection.

In 2014, though, the rhythm of Asher’s life, both on and off the
island, changed irrevocably. “My wife died of bowel cancer last
January,” he says. “I spent a lot of time walking in the mountains, and
swimming and kayaking in the Libyan Sea. This was mostly to try and
hold depression at bay. I have struggled to write, and to care about
much at all.” Caroline Asher was just 54 years old.

But you have to And a way to carry on. Asher has kept working,
and this month brings the first novel in a new trilogy set in his Polity
universe. Dark Intelligence. At its centre lies a dangerous
rogue AI named Penny Royal, which previously showed
up in the short story “Alien Archaeology” and the novel
The Technician. “My readers rather liked that creation,
and I like it too,” says Asher. Plus, having written a
dystopian trilogy, the “Owner” sequence that began with
The Departure (2011), he wanted to “return to the Polity
and do something sprawling”.

It’s a novel in which characters undergo startling and
often terrible physical changes (see our review on page
no). Along with immortality, the theme of transformation
is one Asher says has been present in his work from the off
- early short story “Spatter] ay”, for instance, featured an
“immortality-imparting virus, spread by the bite of a leech.’

Dark Intelligence is also a book where many of the
scenes have a visceral power. “My desire is to entertain
and the horror elements, and the violence - the conflict -
are a large part of that,” says Asher. “Simply flick through
the pages of SFX and point to a book, film
or game that doesn’t contain them. I think you’ll
And that difficult. I guess my problem developed
from when, from a book about writing, I read that
there should be conflict on every page. I thought
that meant exploding spaceships...”

OlODPfP

I OCCUPATION: Novelist

I BORN: 1961

I FROM: Billericay, Essex

I GREATEST HITS:

Asher’s ongoing
sequence of “Poiity”
noveis, set in a universe
where benign Ais are
in charge, has garnered
a huge foiiowing.

I RANDOM FACT: Eariier
in his career and “over
many years”, Asher
“inevitabiy wrote a
fantasy triiogy”. it was
taken on by an agent,
but has never seen the
iight of day.

C

NEAL

“My perspective on What
Is Important In life has
changed a great ilear

ASHER

As a novelist, Asher was a relatively late starter. “I had no idea
what I wanted to do when I left school, beyond get some money in
my pocket and go down the pub,” he says. “I did, however, have many
interests: biology, also specifically mycology, chemistry, electronics,
physics, painting and sculpture. I used to flit from one interest to
another but not achieve much beyond learning a little more.”

In his mid-20s, he says, he realised “that writing was something
that could incorporate all my other interests and only then did I really
focus on it completely.” Gradually, he inched towards being able to
work full-time as a novelist, a tale of having his stories rejected, then
having pieces accepted by non-paying magazines and “novels taken by
small publishers who crashed and burned before publication.”

Along the way, he undertook some jobs you really wouldn’t want
to do. So which would he least like to revisit? “I guess that delivering
coal for two weeks in the freezing rain just before Christmas was the
worst. Nothing like having to use a scrubbing brush to clean parts of
the body that should never see such a brush at all.”

His breakthrough came when publisher Macmillan took
Gridlinked (2001). The first in his “Agent Cormac” series, it was
the tale of a secret agent that combined elements of the thriller,
hard SF and cyberpunk, a template for much of what’s followed.

“I swiftly learned that getting a book with a big publisher doesn’t
mean champagne and big cars thereafter,” he remembers. “What it
means is your publisher/editor asking what you are going to produce
next year, which is a step many fall flat on their faces over.”

It was a more-or-less instant hit and two years later Asher was able
to quit the day job. But for all his success, he’s sometimes seemed
like an outsider among SF novelists. In part, this is because he’s been
criticised within the community for his apparent climate change
scepticism (he declines to answer a question about his position here).
It’s also about politics. The overriding allegiance among Brit SF
writers is - or certainly appears to be, SFX has never taken a formal
poll or anything - soft left-leaning.

When SFX suggests that Asher, in contrast, is politically conservative,
he first criticises Westminster’s denizens as “divorced from reality by
massive salaries, pensions and an over-privileged lifestyle” before going
on to describe himself as a “libertarian in the sense of ‘classic liberal’”
and not “a gun- toting bible-belter”.

“I do sometimes feel like I slipped under the fence
and got into the SF world before anyone could release
the dogs,” he concludes. “I once chatted with an SF
writer who was ‘politically conservative’, whatever
I that means, who was amazed that I didn’t just keep my
f mouth shut and my head down. But my contention was
that, even if you are writing some way out stuff, truth is
one of your most important tools. However, I do tend to
be more close-mouthed now simply because, over this
last shitty year, my perspective on what is important in
life has changed a great deal.” ^2^

Dark Intelligence is on sale 29 January.

1

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

BIG HERO 6

THE

iJOY

READY FOR THE
UNLIKELIEST SCREEN
SUPERHEROES YET? EAST
MEETS WEST AS JOSEPH
McCABE DISCOVERS
THE FUNKY FUTURE
OF BIG HERO 6

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

BIG HERO 6

HE SUPERHERO GENRE

dominates the 21st century box-
office, and no company is more
successful at making super-movies
than Marvel. From 2008’s Iron Man to this
summer’s Guardians Of The Galaxy, each
Marvel film has powered its way to
becoming a worldwide smash.

Of course Marvel made its name
publishing the superhero comics on
which its films are based. So it was only
a matter of time before one of those comics
inspired the animation division of its parent
company, Walt Disney. But are audiences
ready for a movie that represents the ultimate
fusion of eastern and western approaches to
SF and superheroes? Bzgffero 6 directors
Don Hall and Chris Williams think so.

“I was a big comic book fan,” Hall tells SFX
when we chat with him at the Walt Disney
Animation Studios in Burbank. “That’s what
led me to go down the path of inquiring about
something of Marvel’s and bringing it over.

I was just reliving my childhood passions.

I was a huge Marvel comics fan as a kid.

John Buscema and John Byrne were my

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

two favorite artists. That inspired a love of
drawing. How To Draw Comics The Marvel
Way was right up there with The Illusion Of
Life as far as tomes that inspired me as a kid.

So the idea of combining those two passions
was really what led to Big Hero 6.”

Hall — who got his start at Disney as a
writer on 1999’s Tarzan — recalls approaching
chief creative officer John Lasseter about
his urge to work with characters from the
company’s newly acquired Marvel Universe.

“We had a five-minute conversation where
he was like, ‘That sounds great. I think it’s
really cool. Why don’t you find something
that you think would be appropriate to bring
over?”’ That “something” turned out to be
a super- team title even more obscure than
Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy.

“Avengers hadn’t come out yet. I don’t think
Captain America had come out yet. But I knew
Captain America was gonna be in Avengers,
from being a dork and reading stuff. I knew all
that was in the works. So I tried to stay away,
when I was putting a list together, from stuff
I thought would be hands-off. I spent lunch
hours combing through their website. And
when I found Big Hero 6 ... It was the title that
drew me to it originally. Then I saw it was a
Japanese superhero team, and I bought the
comics and loved them.”

Co-director Williams brought with him
a love of fast-paced thrills and streamlined
character stories that perfectly suited Big Hero
6’s tale (loosely adapted from the comic Man
Of Action) of Hiro, a young robotics expert
(voiced by Ryan Potter) who, after suffering
a tragic loss, is befriended by Baymax (actor
Scott Adsit), an inflatable robotic healthcare
companion. The two soon discover that a
mysterious kabuki-masked villain, known
as Yokai, has stolen one of Hiro’s inventions

— countless miniature multi-purpose droids
known as microbots — and is using it to
threaten the entire city.

“I’ve always been inspired by action
movies,” says Williams, best known for
helming (with How To Train Your Dragon’s
Chris Sanders) the 2008 Disney feature Bolt.

“I love The Road Warrior and Princess
Mononoke. Really well put together action
scenes are so inspiring to me. But I also love
really sweet little stories. I think you see a little
bit of that in Bolt. Bolt is a movie that has these
really big action scenes, but Bolt himself is
such a simple and pure character. I really like
that kind of innocence and that naive quality.

I responded to that in Baymax.”

SQUISHY EMOTIONS

Working with screenwriter Jordan Roberts,
Hall fused the story of Hiro and Baymax’s
new friendship to that of the titular superhero
group, university students specializing in
various fields of science and technology who
join Hiro in battling Yokai: electromagnetics
whiz GoGo Tomago (Jamie Chung), laser
expert Wasabi (Damon Wayans, Jr.), chemist
Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), and the
school’s mascot and resident comic-book
junkie Fred (TJ Miller).

“That was the bulk of our effort in story,”
admits Hall. “It was something that I
recognised early on was gonna be one of the
specific story challenges. I think we all did.

We saw the merit in making it work, but it
wasn’t until the emotional story between Hiro
and Baymax was worked out that that became
the spine of the movie. Then it was very clear
that the team should hang on that. And how to
do that really came out of Baymax being a little
more pro-active. His mission is to heal this kid

# “The challenges in designing
Baymax,” lead character designer
Shiyoon Kim tells SFX, “were to
make him appealing and to make
him unique, a robot that we’ve
never seen before. And huggable.

I don’t usually think of robots and
‘huggable’ at the same time...

Our team went to Carnegie
Mellon University and they found
out about soft robotics. So the
idea came up, ‘What if Baymax
was inflatable?’

“[Director] Don Hall, on his
research trip to Japan, took a
picture of these bells [on which
there are] two circles connected
with a line. Something about that
iconography was really interesting.
I thought, ‘That could be a really
cool face for a robot.’ In the
beginning I put a mouth
underneath, and I thought it might
look better without the mouth.

We pitched that idea to John
[Lasseter], and John really loved it.
It felt more robotic that way.”

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

BIG HERO 6

emotionally. Part of the treatment for this is
to surround him with friends and loved ones.
Then it was like, ‘Oh, that’s how they’re going
to be incorporated into the movie.’ It sewed
them into the movie in an unbreakable way.”

With their story in place. Hall and Williams
turned to production designer Paul Felix
(another veteran of Bolt) to develop the
complex megalopolis of San Fransokyo.

“It was always Don’s inclination to make
sure that it was something wholly original,”
says Felix, taking a break from the lighting
stage of production to tell us a little about
Big Hero 6’s look. “That’s why he didn’t want
to set it in someplace too recognisable.

The hope is that this would be the near
future, like, ten years out. But that it was
recognisably San Francisco was definitely the
idea. We wanted to make sure that the parts
of the city that you expect to see are where
you would imagine them to be.”

To create the film’s setting, a cultural hybrid
appropriate for its characters, Felix and his
team undertook an intensive study of anime.

“It helped us get a sense of how Japanese
cities organise space; and the kinds of
spaces you don’t find in American cities.

Like marketplace walkways, and the way
they cram air conditioning ducts and dense
detailing into those parts of the city. That was
important, because it felt specific to a place.”

Examining Japan’s animation culture.

Big Hero 6’s artists soon found themselves
incorporating its minimalistic approach to
character design, despite its challenges.

“The characters,” explains Felix, “are so
stripped-down — not just the costumes but
their features — that it was really important
everything get placed in the right place.

If one thing is slightly off, you know it.

There were fewer opportunities to put a mass
of detail on and hope that something that
doesn’t get resolved isn’t noticed. There were
times that I could have taken a different design
direction. Early on, we had this idea that they
wouldn’t have access to a lot of the machinery
they would need to make their costumes,
so they would be more of a ragtag band.

Which is a cool aesthetic in and of itself, but in

“JOHNLASSETER
WANTED BAYMAX
TO FEEL BIG,
IMPOSING AND
V INFLATABLE” .

the end it started to feel better that they were
more unified. They’re all geniuses, and 3D
printing seems to be a big part of the show.

So it just made sense.

“When Shiyoon Kim — our lead character
designer — took his first pass at the costumes
we have now he really wanted to come up
with something that unifies them all.

He came up with the circle motif that you’ll
find between their shoulder pads and their
breastplates and on their helmets. That kind
of curvilinear aesthetic was the one thing that
we hoped would tie them together. We really
wanted a more minimalistic approach to it,
kind of Apple-like.

“Something John Lasseter wanted,” laughs
Felix, “was to keep Baymax a little bit more
relatable, and not just a perfect V shape. To
feel big and imposing but keep a sense of the
inflatable inside. So he still has that kind of
rounded swell to his abdomen.”

In the end, it’s Baymax who, ironically,
symbolises the spirit of Big Hero 6, revealing
a core of humanity even while buried under
layers of technology.

“I just fell in love with the characters,” says
Hall, remembering his first encounter with the
comic books, “and the potential for what we
could do with them.”

Big Hero 6 is released on Friday 30 January.

The Standard tabloid
A-level results day
poses never change.

MAKING

MICROBOTS

# Of the many challenges faced
by Big Hero 6’s visual effects
animators, none was greater
than that of Hiro’s microbots —
miniature robots that, when
magnetically connected, are
capable of almost any task.

“We did a lot of research on
the latest technology being
developed for robots,” says
effects head Michael Kaschalk.
“We knew they needed to
connect together. So we looked
at nature and studied things like
how ants will build a bridge and
then use themselves to cross over
to another area. But we didn’t
want them to feel like they were
some kind of creature. You might
think the easiest thing for them to
do to throw a car is to build some
kind of arm and grab and throw it.
But we decided to stick with
their mechanical nature and have
the microbots come underneath
the car and create something like
a catapult.”

Do 3D printed parachutes
work? Baymax and Hiro
are about to find out.

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THE STORY BEHIND THE SF AND FANTASY OF YESTERYEAR

DIRECTOR RUSSELL MULGAHY TELLS DAVE COLDER WHY THE SEQUEL
THAT NOBODY WANTED WAS “HELL ON WHEELS” TO MAKE

T HERE’S A PIECE OF

trivia about Highlander II: The
Quickening that’s repeated so
often on the internet it sounds
like it must be an urban myth.
But no. Director Russell
Mulcahy confirms to SFX that
he did indeed walk out of the
film’s world premiere after 15
minutes. “I think I heard a few rumblings in
the audience, like, ‘What the fuck’s this?”’
he recalls with a self-mocking chuckle.

“To be fair, I was thinking the same thing
and I knew the worst was yet to come. I didn’t
want to be there at the end. I left for safety
reasons because I would have been murdered.”

Highlander H is a regular fixture in “Worst
Movies Of All Time Lists” and you won’t find
Mulcahy - who also directed the first film -
defending it. The man who made his name
shooting some of the most memorable pop
videos of the ’80s for the likes of Duran Duran,
Ultravox (oh, indeed yes, Vienna) and Queen
- describes the shoot as “hell on wheels” and
claims never to have watched it again since
that premiere. Which may surprise owners of
the radical Renegade Cut version of the movie
released on DVD in 1995, which purports to be
a “director’s cut”.

“Imay have given the producers some
notes,” says Mulcahy, revealing that he had
little direct involvement with that release.

“I think I said, T don’t really know what you
can do to save it’ I definitely asked them to
get rid of that Planet Zeist stuff.”

Ah yes. Zeist. Poor, ultimately retconned-
out-of-the-franchise Planet Zeist, a severe
symptom of unwanted- sequelitis, eventually
cured by surgical removal. In a way it stands
for everything that’s wrong with Highlander H
- a plot decision driven by that basic human
urge: to make more money.

Because nobody behind the original really
wanted to make a sequel. Highlander - the tale
of immortals who must battle each other
through the ages until only one is left - had

become an unexpected cult hit in Europe
but had tanked in the US, so its distributor,
20th Century Fox, had no interest in making
another one. But as producer Peter Davis
recalls in the making- of documentary
Seduced By Argentina, “We got such support
from the foreign distributors. We would go to
Cannes and they would come up to us saying.
When are you doing this? We want this for
our marketplace.’”

Eventually funding was raised through a
private bonding company. The trouble was, as
Mulcahy points out. Highlander was a film that
didn’t lend itself to sequels. “It was written as
a complete story. There can be only one. He
got a prize when he won - he became mortal.
Blah, blah, blah, end of story, Tt’s A Kind Of
Magic’. But then it became a hit in Europe and
suddenly there was a scramble for a sequel.”

The producers. Bill Panzer and Peter Davis,
had to find a way to bring the characters and
concepts back, including Sean Connery’s
Ramirez who was inconveniently dead
(“the distributors were not interested in Sean
Connery being a cameo; they wanted him as a
major character in the piece,” says Davis.)
Mulcahy remembers being sent various
concepts: “One was like Rollerball meets The
Hunger Games. They were all futuristic.”

86

SFX

March 2015

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

IMAGES ©KOBAL (1) REX (1)

Mulcahy wiissi't impressed with whjit he
WEJ^ reading but ultimaEely dij^covered that he
h^ liltk' choice ill the matter: "Script:^ wejt:
coming in and I 'That'^ crap, that’s

cr^ip^ thjl’:$ erPp." l^venEiildly I rang Peter Davi±:
and he said. "Well, I've already si^cd ymi.'
"/Vnd I went. WliAff l changed my agent after
that film. But they said Christophe wained
to lIo it, who I Teally liked, and. Sean had
already slgried. Sa 3 thouglit/ it Lean's signed
to it maybe it can’t be that badir Maybe rm
missing someth i ng.'**

what he may have been missing was that
Connery had been brought on board with t fee
of $3 mill inn for six days' ^vork.

Tilat 'S when legendary Avepgtrjf
seriptuTitcr and The Professitynijis creator
Brian Clemens cameort board.
came abrvut beeause my AmcHean agent said
the prLMiueers wi LI give [he job to the writer
who can explain who the bloody hell the
I mmoriak orc^” Clemens told Sf!X way back in
issue SI, I irn'ented the planet Zeist and nil I
that nonsense, where one year is SO on Earth,
and they kvent for it."

He was. to be fair, only doing as asked.

“T3ie fans scanted to know where rfie
Immortals came from’’ says Panzer.

”VVe shotiltfn^hitVe listened tu them.*'

The script then, was a mish-mash of
get-oul clauses, rewrl [ing (or ignoring) the
rules set in place in the fii'st film. In Seduc^

By . star Christopher Lambert, who

plfi^-ed the immortal Higl’i lander Connor

MacLeod, admits to being seepdeal about the
whole Zeist angle. “The more cornered ^ve
Were 1 n trying to eome up ^vilh ideas, the more
Stupid th I ngs we camo up w'ith.'’

THE GATHERING

So^ it's 2024 and the world is prweeted from
solar mdiaEion by a giant shield. Qur now-aged
Hig3dander. Con non (who, we leam, ensated
the shieldj sudden ly and inexplicably betonie^
a youthful Immortal again w'hen a villain from
his mvn planet turns up. This, equally
inexplicably, allows Ramirest to come back to
life, only to die ^vhat seems like a few mi nutes
later Connor falls in love with an eCO-'tertarist
he's kno^vn for five minutes. The shield comes
down because it hasn't been needc'd for years
(it's been kept in plaee b^^ a corrupt company).
The baddie is decapitated. Happy ending.

ICs difficult to insagine this script making
a much bettor film I f Muleahy had had a
Jim Camemn-sired budget to play H,vith,

The next Htep on the the road to disaster
was thechoico to make the film in Buenos
Aires, capital of Argentina. The move seemed,
to make fmancial sense at the time: film crews
w'ero a lot cheaper in .South America and the
producer^’ sproadshoeES lackinga cokimn
labelled '"reality^ check" - suggi^sted that the
film could be made for SS-iO milliun loss than
if shot In the US, Mukahy evtn convinced
himself EhaE Ehiscost^onttinig measure could
have artistic benefits. “1 w^anted a neo-elasslcal

“WE GUT IT AND
WENT, ‘OH GOD,
IT’S DREADFUL’”

futuiistie lookr Argentina has thntt old world
Iruk with a oomhination of miodeni stuff too.

They also showed us these extrHTordinar>'
locations; some w'aterfaLls on the border with
Brazil whore The iVJfStfmrt was filmed, and this
extraordinary^ lunar-like Landscape that would
have been used for ZeiSL*"

Argentina provc'd to he a false economy^
though. Partly because Eho country suffered
from a period of rampant inflation just as
fi] ming oornmenoed. *'One mOmlng you’d have
breakfast in the hotel and the orange juice was
10 cents, and the next day It was $2. so I w'as
thinkings 'Okay, there's something going on
here,^" says Muleahy.

There were other problems with the
.■Vrgentinian Location. "It ^vasn’t reallystaffod
up lo do a film of this style. So We ended up
bringing in people from Australia and the UK.
and America. As preproduction was going un,
more snd more people were coming in from
Eho rest of [ho world. So with shipping the
crew in and the economy going upside-down.

REX (2), KOBAL (3) GETTY (1)

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Connery’s Ramirez:

$3 million for six days.
A... bargain?

‘ A one-sided sword fight
if ever there was one.

Mulcahy: “The film was shot after the
Falklands conflict. I would mention very
loudly as often as possible how I was
Australian, just to make it clear. But I do
remember that the street where the train
went through was called Avenue Belgrano
- the name of the ship the British sunk.

That didn’t go down well. Although no
pitched battles broke out, at lunchtime little
bread fights would start. And after a few
glasses of wine - because red wine at
lunchtime was part of the Argentinian
culture - bottles could start flying too.”

A moody Russell
Mulcahy points the lens
at Sean Connery.

what was supposed to have been a cost
effective move was actually a disaster.

We couldn’t use the locations we had planned
to use because they were too far away from
Buenos Aires and we couldn’t afford to put the
crew up anywhere. So all that was scrapped
and the film became all about interior sets.

A lot of scenes weren’t shot, a lot of sets
weren’t finished. It became very cardboard-
looking. We had grand ambitions but it ended
up looking cheap and tacky.”

ITS UNDOING

One of the biggest losses was a huge battle
scene on Zeist. “That was storyboarded to
hell,” says Mulcahy, “by a wonderful artist
called Brendan McCarthy. He’s a good friend,
and we had this incredible battle scene
planned for the opening. It was going to be like
nothing you’d seen before. Instead we ended
up with 30 people running around Zuma
Beach - very quick and non- eventful.”

With Argentinian inflation causing
production costs to rocket, the bonding
company financing the film unceremoniously
pulled the plug. Mulcahy was distraught. It
wasn’t just lavish action scenes that hadn’t
been filmed but vital narrative scenes as well.
But he was powerless to do anything about it,
and after struggling for 12 weeks to get even a
trace of his vision on screen, he actually felt a
sense of relief on the way to the airport. “I
decided I was never going to do a film again
just for money, because it’s too hard work to

V.

wake up every morning morning going.

Tuck this shit.’”

The nightmare wasn’t over. “When we got
back, we cut it together and went, ‘Oh god,
it’s dreadful.’ Then the finance company
took it over, brought in their own editors
and butchered it even more.”

They also compromised on the post
production and effects, so that the all-
important shield, which was always supposed
to be blue, was suddenly transformed into red,
even though all the sets had been lit in blue.

Everyone hated the bonding company’s cut,
and according to the Seduced By Argentina
documentary, it was never released. Instead,
UK film distributor Entertainment stumped
up the money for an additional edit which was
the one eventually released. If this was an
improvement, then the mind boggles at how

Atypical afternoon
on the Bakerloo line.

incoherent the cut it replaced must have been:
flashback sequences that were supposed to be
spread throughout the film (like the ones in
Highlander) were instead re-edited into a kind
of chronological “Story So Far” sequence at the
start of the film. Two sword fights were
merged into one, to make the climax longer
(though resultingly full of continuity errors).
Vital exposition was clearly missing as one
scene lurched inelegantly into another.

THERE CAN BE MORE

It was released. It was panned. It flopped.
Yet amazingly there were more sequels.
After Highlander HI came out in 1994
producers Davis and Panzer re-edited the
second film along the lines of Mulcahy’s
original intention with the flashbacks in the
correct places, two sword fights and a
specially reshot action scene re-inserted
(not the big battle, sadly, but a fight on a
van roof). They also followed Mulcahy’s
advice, redubbing and re-editing the Zeist
scenes so that they took place in Earth’s
distant past instead; though this created a
few plot holes of its own, it seemed to
placate fans. This was the Renegade Cut.

Then in 2004 came the special edition,
with all new CG effects, a few minor
alterations and, after all this time, a blue
shield to match the set lighting.

“I hear it’s an improvement,” Mulcahy
tells SFX. You’ll have to take our word for it;
he doesn’t sound at all convinced. ^2^

li It’s okay, Chris. There’s

i always ///jrAMer ///...

Dreadful

What’s happening in the world
of horror movies this month...

New year and a new
horror slate, largely
consisting of sequels
and remakes. But
worry not! Two
humungo multi-movie
Stephen King adaps
are on the way
as well as a host

of creepy offerings set to dehut
the Sundance film festival.
Plus: time to move over
Leprechaun - here comes
Gnome Alonel Groan.

MY TIME CRIME

Morally speaking, how long
do you have to endure a
horror film before you’re allowed
to switch it off? I ask because
I’ve just sat through the whole
of award-winning Spanish
language ordeal Kidnapped
(aka Secuestrados) out of some
misplaced sense of duty even
though it turned out to be just
as relentlessly, pointlessly,
unchangingly unpleasant as
I knew it was going to be.

Made up of just 12 long tracking
shots, occasionally using split
screen to contrast the dual
ordeal of the father - dragged
off to a cash point by one of the
opportunistic Eastern European
kidnappers who break into his
home - and his wife and daughter
stuck back at the house with two

more predictable maniacs. It’s
sparse, nasty art-house torture-
porn. Plot? Negligible. Emotional
engagement? None. Terror? I wish.
It’s 85 minutes long and I made it
to the end but for anyone who’s
not on board after 15 mins: Quit!

I won’t judge. Also out now: Kimo
Stamboel and Timo Tjanjanto’s
Killers. I like Timo Tjanjanto but
this was outdated sub -I Saw The
Devil dirge that’s over 2 i/4 hours
long. I did 45 minutes. I don’t care
how it ends.

KING OF THE
WORLD

Stephen King’s The Stand is
a gargantuan opus of a novel,
a post- apocalyptic tome where
King re- constructs a world where
humanity is all-hut wiped out by a
pandemic. It’s a great book - King

Take a night class, horror
V style. The Miskatonic Institute ^
Of Horror Studies - a Canadian
venture founded by House Of Psychotic
Women author Kier-La Janisse - is
launching a London branch in the new year
with a series of screenings and lectures from
established genre stalwarts. Monthly classes
start in January focusing on obscure and
cult horror including sessions on Jesus
Franco, sado-masochism and
L classroom safety films. Head to
www.miskatonic-london.com
for tickets and details.

always wanted it to be his answer
to The Lord Of The Rings - and
it seems like the time for a really
good adap of The Stand - split into
four - has come at last. Rumours
buzz about the possible casting of
Matthew McConaughey as icon
of evil Randall Flagg and dream
casting (I’m dubious) of Christian
Bale as hope for humanity Stu
Redman. At last we could see a
horror franchise turn into a true
big bucks mainstream blockbuster.
In the meantime True Detective
director Cary Fukunaga is
propping in March for a summer
shoot for the first part of a new IT
adap. It’ll be split in two with IT
Part 1 a coming of age tale about
the kids terrorised by Pennywise
the Clown (Part 2 will focus on
the adult reunion decades later).
Apparently King’s happy with the

script saying “this is the version
the studio should make”.

JANUARY SALES

By the time you read this
you’ll know whether The
Woman In Black: Angel Of Death
has become a box office bonanza
to match the first film (the most
successful British horror of all
time) or not. Pre-Annabelle I
would have said “no” but I’d
probably have been wrong.

Like Annabelle to The Conjuring,
the stars aren’t as famous, the
director’s not as experienced
and the reviews aren’t as positive
but “sequel” and “spinoff” seem
to trump “logic” and “quality”.
Don’t get me wrong. Angel
Of Death is vastly superior to
Annabelle (which wins the prize
for my most hated film of last

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

FOLLOW ME
ON TWITTER!

@SFXPennyD

BRIDE OF
CHUGKY

RonnyYu,1998 jjifr.. • ’fr: ■

> Fourth part of the Child’s ’

P/ay franchise, starring ^

voiced former girifriend of Brad Dourif’s seriai kiiier Chucky,
transformed into a psychopathic goth-doii. Marked a turning
point in the franchise from straight horror to biack comedy,
revitaiising the series. Seed Of Chucky foiiowed.

ONLY LOVERS
LEFT ALIVE

Jim Jarmusch, 2013
I Externai iove is a [ f'

vampire stapie- this one’s ^

a wry arthouse version '

starring pasty-faced waifs Tiida Swinton and Tom Hiddieston
as the centuries-oid biood drinking coupie reunited across
continents, hopped up on oid vinyi and first edition noveis.
Siinky, sexy (bit siow).

year), and Phoebe Fox is both
promising and likeable - it’s
just not terribly adventurous.

As an old fashioned ghost story
of creaking floorboards, dashing
young airmen and doe- eyed kids,
it’s flne - it might even get a part
three. But in ten years no one will
remember it.

JANUARY SALES 2

I hate to be the prophet of

doom, but right now the
horror release list for 2015 looks
about as exciting as The Woman
In Black: Part 3. Sequels, remakes,
reimaginings, things vs other
things... But fear not (or rather
“fear more”) - January marks
the Sundance film festival, the
first big cinema event of the year
which always comes with an
armful of new nasties (last year
premiering The Babadook and
The Guest). Here’s three to look out
for. 1 The Hallow: dark Irish- set
monster movie described as
“Pan’s Labyrinth meets Straw
Dogs” by debut director Corin
Hardy, who’s just signed on to
pick up comic-book hot potato
The Crow. 2 The Nightmare -
docu-horror about sleep paralysis
following eight people who

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get Stuck between dreams and
waking. 3 Knock Knock: Eli Roth’s
latest starring Keanu Reeves as a
married man who messes with the
wrong girls in this psycho-sexual
thriller. Fatale attraction meets,
well, Eli Roth...

NO GNOME
UNTURNED

I What there definitely isn’t
enough of is garden gnome
horror starring Austin Powers’
Mini-Me Verne Troyer. Problem
solved! Gnome Alone, out in the
US from Lionsgate in January,
sees a college girl acquire an
amulet that awakens a malicious
hat-wearing homunculus
(Ashing rod and tiny watering
can TBC), who seems to be offing
her enemies unconvincingly.

Can she harness the power
of the cursed charm before
the gnome’s reign of terror
leaves more victims in its
wake? Will the “don’t call
me leprechaun” jokes ever
be funny? Will this Aim
ever get a UK release?

Look out for Gnome
Alone 2: Curse Of
The Fishpond for
2016.

The Hallow iJimils
typical Irish weather.
And monsters.

ALLELUIA

Fabrice Du Welz, 2014
> A con artist meets a
single mother who falls
deeply in love with him and
pretends to be his sister so
he can swindle rich widows
outof their cash, in this
bizarre horror based on the true story of The Honeymoon
Killers. From Calvaire director Fabrice Du Welz it’s a brutal
and beautiful weird middle-aged love story.

PENNY DREADFUL

penny’s wnf|i|y dicflonary of doom

LIS FOR... LOVERS

NATURAL
BORN KILLERS

Oliver Stone, 1994
> Damaged nutters Mickey
and Mallory go on a
murderous rampage and
become cult heroes bolstered by the press in Oliver Stone’s
highly controversial killer road movie, based on a story by
Quentin Tarantino. A twisted Bonnie and Clyde which made
stars of Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis.

om bie ho

The best reviews section in the universe

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Contents

1 94 Cinema
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1 118 Videogames

1 119 Misceiianeous

1 120 Coiiectabies

Highlights

The Hobbit; The Battle
OfThe Five Armies

Does Bilbo Baggins get there and
back again in one piece?

Lucy

Scarlett Johansson gets her hands on
many, many more superpowers than she
does in the Marvel movies.

Dark Intelligence

Neal Asher returns to his Polity
universe for a space-set tale of
vengeance and the quest for power.

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The Hobbit:

The Battle Of
The Five Arniies

End of the road

★★★★

Release Date: OUT NOW!

12A 1144 minutes
Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Martin Freeman, ian McKeiien, Richarrl Armitage,

Luke Evans, Evangeiine Liiiy, Oriando Bioom, Aidan Turner,
BiiiyConnDiiy

Of all the Hobbit

trilogy, The Battle Of The Five
Armies was arguably Peter Jackson’s
biggest challenge. With most of
the standout moments from the
book already out of the way
(Gollum, the spiders, the barrel
chase, the natter with Smaug),
this was a film based around a
skirmish many consider a footnote
that takes place after the real story
is done. How could Jackson possibly
base an entire epic movie on such
narrow foundations? Surely this
would be where the folly of
splitting a brief source novel into
three movies would be well and
truly exposed?

We needn’t have worried. While
it’s not up there with his Tolkien
cycle’s best, this is a fitting end (or
should that be middle?) to Jackson’s
saga, one that manages to mix
blockbuster spectacle with some
intimate, tender character moments.
That it works at all is down to two
key filmmaking decisions: making
sure this is the shortest jaunt to

Even at Its
most talky. It’s
compelling stuff

Middle- earth yet (there’s no room
for unnecessary filler here), and
holding back the end of Smaug’s
story to open this movie, even though
dramatic logic tells you it should
have been wrapped up last time out.

It’s a choice that proves bang
on the money, because while it left
us with an unsatisfying cliffhanger
for The Desolation Of Smaug, the
dragon’s assault on Lake-town opens
this third film with the killer hook it
needs. Without wasting time on any
kind of flashback or prologue, we’re
launched straight into the silver-
tongued lizard’s fiery bombing raid,
as the soon-to-be-former resident of
the Lonely Mountain lays waste to
the town below. It’s a wonderful
sequence (albeit one that’s over too
quickly) that instantly seizes your
attention, even though it feels like it’s
a leftover from a different movie -
it’s like opening The Empire Strikes
Back with Luke Skywalker blowing
up the Death Star.

And there’s the conundrum. Had
the dragon not been in The Battle Of
Five Armies, the movie wouldn’t have
hung together. Once Smaug departs
(and surely that can’t still be a spoiler
after nearly 80 years), we’re launched
into nearly an hour of posturing,
arguing and reflecting as various
armies get ready for war. (We know
they’re getting ready for war because
they say so. Many times.) It’s an
effective crescendo to battle, but in
a film that’s effectively one long final
act, it would have made for a pretty
mediocre opening.

When things do finally kick off,
the fight proves worth the wait. With

several factions camped outside the
newly freed Dwarf stronghold of
Erebor, the scale is pitched
somewhere between the tense siege
of Helm’s Deep and the sprawling
scrap of Pelennor Fields. Okay,
there’s a little bit oi Anchorman 2 to
the way more and more groups join
the battle - you almost expect Wes
Mantouth and his Channel 9 Evening
News team to trash talk an Ore -
but it’s marshalled effortlessly by
Jackson, who pulls all the disparate
elements together in a way few
directors could match.

The battle is endlessly inventive,
with the Ores, Elves, Men, Dwarves

and Eagles displaying numerous
ingenious tactics, and riding
enough steeds to sustain pretty much
every verse of “Old MacDonald”.
Also, Jackson knows when to
punctuate the carnage with a gag
or a tender moment, making this
the antithesis of Michael Bay’s
humourless, confusing Transformers:
Age Of Extinction.

Yet despite the warmongering
title, focusing on the action would
be doing The Battle Of The Five
Armies a disservice. Even at its most
talky, it’s compelling stuff, reaping
the rewards of characters built-up
over two-and-a-bit movies

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

CINEMA

I#.'

Billy Connolly

Dainin The Battle of
the Five Armies

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(sometimes more), all of them flawed
and with a convincing agenda.

With Martin Freeman’s ever-
excellent Bilbo more of a bit-part
player this time out, the stage is set
for others to stand out: Luke Evans,
as Bard, becomes a reluctant leader
of men, whose single-minded desire
to protect his kids makes him one of
the most human characters ever to
grace Middle- earth, while Kill and
Tauriel’s romance is undeniably
touching. However, it’s Thorin’s movie,
as Richard Armitage takes the Dwarf
king to the edge of madness. With the
“Dragon Sickness” that plagued his
grandfather taking hold, Thorin is a

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danger to everyone under his rule,
yet Armitage never allows him to
become a monster, allowing glimpses
of the good man he was before to
shine through.

And while you’re always
conscious that bridges with The Lord
Of The Rings are being built, this
trilogy closer is way less preoccupied
with being a prequel than it could
have been. Yes, come the end
Bilbo has his Mithril shirt and all
the key players are where they need
to be when Sauron goes on the
prowl for his famous trinket, but
only one moment - a random
mention of one of Rings’ leading

lights - feels shamelessly
crowbarred in.

As for the ending, Jackson
manages to be much more restrained
than he was on The Return Of The
King, wrapping things up with a
suitably low-key return to the
Shire that effectively brings the
saga full circle. As a farewell to
Middle-earth, it’s pitched perfectly
- bad things are happening in
Mordor, but we don’t have to
worry about that. Not yet, anyway...
Richard Edwards

“The Last Goodbye”, the song over the
closing credits, was written and sung by
Billy Boyd, Pippin in The Lord Of The Rings.

I Can you describe your
experience of working with
Peter Jackson?

Peter Jackson is an absolute
gas to be around. Of course,
he has a lot of responsibility
on these movies but he also
creates a very relaxed and
fun environment. We shot in
the most beautiful areas of
New Zealand and when he
isn’t directing Hobbits, Peter
collects planes. So the best
thing for me was being able
to fly around in these old
World War 2 planes with
Stephen Fry!

I How did you get invoived in
the cast of The Battle Of The
Five Armies?

They actually asked me - for
some reason Peter Jackson
thought I would be ideal to
portray this hardened old
warrior. It all arrived totally
by surprise! I thought I better
say yes because I knew Sean
Connery had turned down
The Lord Of The Rings and I
didn’t want to be the second
Scotsman to walk away from
something so successful!

I Although you are on record
as saying you can’t stand
Toikien...

That is absolutely true -
I never was a fan of
Tolkien. And I never liked
the people who liked these
books either! I was part of
the folk scene when I was
younger and there was a big
distinction between the two:
the Tolkiens and the non-
Tolkiens. I was into blues
and bluegrass music and
they would be into corduroy
jackets and stuff! So we
would always be opposed
to one another - and now,
of course, all of that is
quite ironic.

Caium Waddeii

IMAGE © 2014 REX FEATURES (1)

Its mashed-up world
Is dynaoilG, vibrant
and filled wiib life

Aside from the robot, it’s the latter
element that makes Big Hero 6 so
compelling. Set in a city named San
Fransokyo - yes, it’s a cross between
San Francisco and Tokyo - the film’s
visual style is a satisfying blend of
neon/sunlight, East/West that feels
gloriously fresh. This is partly down
to the fact that the original Marvel
comic it’s based on was set in Japan
(Baymax was a robot dragon!), but it’s
still a pleasing change from the
America-centric Disney formula
that’s become a little stale over the
years. This new, mashed-up world is
dynamic, vibrant and filled with life
- as is the genuinely hysterical script.

Oh, and hang around after the end
credits. It’s really worth it.

Jayne Nelson

After researching everything from babies to
koaias, the makers chose penguin chicks as
the inspiration for the way Baymax moves.

hulking robot and making him
adorable through the use of charming,
hilarious and exquisitely observed
slapstick that would put Buster
Keaton to shame.

Big Hero 6’s Baymax isn’t from
another planet, though: he’s a robot
doctor, in the vein of Voyager’s EMH,

designed by the big brother of
little tech genius Hiro (Ryan Potter).
When tragedy unfolds and Hiro
finds himself on a mission of
revenge, Baymax soon becomes an
armoured fighting robot that knows
karate and can fly. Basically, Baymax
goes from cute to cool, as do Hiro’s
pals as they take on superhero
personas to battle a supervillain -
thus allowing the film to homage
everything from the aforementioned
Iron Giant to The Incredibles, The
Avengers, WALL-E and a vast potrion
of the anime canon.

ExMachlna

she, Robot

iririr'ki

Release Date: 23 January

15 1 108 minutes
Director: Alex Garland

Cast: Domlinall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Sonoya Minzuno

There’s no shortage of

big- screen stories about the birth of artificial
intelligence, but few have pulled them off
with the success of Alex Garland’s
ExJHachina. The veteran genre writer steps
into the director’s chair for the first time here,
and the result is a suspenseful, paranoia-
fuelled thriller that also manages to squeeze
a thoughtful exploration of the nature of
human consciousness into its taut runtime.

Effectively a three-hander, it’s set five
minutes in the future and almost entirely in
the isolated home of tech prodigy Nathan
(Oscar Isaac). Under the pretence of having
won a competition, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson)
is flown out to administer the Turing Test to
Ava (Alicia Vikander). But Ava isn’t a faceless
chatbot, she’s a remarkably advanced
android complete with see-through robot
bits. Their sessions start off pleasantly
enough, but Caleb quickly learns that Ava
isn’t happy about her imprisonment...

Gripping from its opening minutes,
ExJVIachina has “cult classic” running

through it like a stick of rock. In spite of its
single location setting and miniscule cast it
never feels stagey, and is loaded with
compellingly smart ideas. Rather than
chronicle a conventional robot uprising, it
turns this idea on its head and makes it
increasingly clear that Ava is not the one
to be feared. Or is that just what she wants
you to believe?

The battle lines are constantly shifting, all
three cast members selling the subtle
psychological warfare with standout
performances. Vikander has the biggest
impact, portraying a machine that’s
convincingly human despite her graceful,
robotic movement and speech patterns.

British effects house Double Negative
deserve special mention for the sensational
job they’ve done bringing Ava to life - there’s
never a moment where the effect is anything
less than flawless. It’s a handsome film too,
the serene surroundings contrasting with
the sterile interiors of Nathan’s home-cum-
research-laboratory to striking effect.

A couple of the film’s twists are too clearly
telegraphed but otherwise it’s a hugely
impressive sort-of
debut for Garland.

A must-see.

Jordan Farley

Isaac and Gleeson
were both cast in
Star Wars: The Force
Awakens shortly after
filming Ex_Machina.

★★★★V

Release Date; 30 January

TBG 1 102 minutes

Director: Don Hall, Chris Williams

Cast: Ryan Potter, Scott Arlsit, James Cromwell, Alan Turlyk,

Maya Rudolph

There exists a

possibility that, many years from now,
parents will sit down with their
children to watch a dusty old movie
from 1999 called The Iron Giant.
Halfway through the film, the sprogs
will turn to the adults and moan,
“Hey, this film totally ripped off
Big Hero 61 That giant robot is just
like Baymax!”

This is because Big Hero 6 will
probably be remembered long after
The Iron Giant, not because it’s better
- it’s actually just as good - but
because it’s going to be a honking
great big hit, whereas Giant wasn’t.
And yet both films use the same
gimmick: taking an emotionless.

Big Hero 6

Please state the nature of the supervillain emergency

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

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KIngsman: The Secret Service

The King’s Peach

Release Date: 29 January

15 1 123 minutes
Director: Matthew Vaughn

Cast: Goiin Firth, Samuei L Jackson, Michaei Caine, Mark Strong, Taron
Egerton, Sofia Bouteiia

Matthew Vaughn’s third

comic adaptation in a row returns him to
the creator of his first, Mark Millar. While
Kick-Ass riffed on superheroes, Kingsman
takes on the superspy. Inspired by
old- school Bond, there’s a yearning here for
the days before 007 got all serious.

The story revolves around elite
espionage team Kingsman. Our guide is
Harry Hart (Colin Firth), but he’s not our
main man; that’s teenage tearaway Gary
“Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton), the son of a
fellow agent, who died due to a mistake
Harry made. Raised on an estate by his mum,
he’s heading for reform school. But Harry’s
kept an eye on him, even giving him a
number to ring when in trouble. After a spell
in custody, Eggsy finally dials the digits.

And so Harry takes Eggsy under his wing.
Watching the plummy Harry tutor the

hoodie-wearing Eggsy is a delight: think My
Fair Lady meets Moonraker. With the agency
a man down after an agent’s killed, Eggsy is
put forward for intensive training.

Like Millar’s original, Kingsman is defiantly
self-aware - although Vaughn tones it down.
While Millar’s story saw celebrities
kidnapped, opening with Mark Hamill
plunging to his death, Vaughn ditches the
famous faces, although he nods to it, with
Hamill cast as a boffin snatched by biotech
pioneer Valentine (Samuel L Jackson).
Jackson’s lisping baddie is good value, even
if he’s not quite on the Blofeld level. But it’s
Harry’s relationship with Eggsy that draws
you in. The plot is a bit daft, and when that
takes over Kingsman begins to lose its lustre.
As good as Egerton is, he’s not quite able to
sustain our interest for two hours.

Vaughn, however, has hit on a great twist
on the action flick - a pinch of Lock, Stock
cheekiness with a dash of ’80s retro. It’s not
perfect, but there’s
enough to keep the
blood pumping.

James Mottram

As he’s a well-spoken
lad, to prepare for his
role Egerton watched
movies like Harry
Brown and III Manors.

Dolce & Gabbana’s new collection
was nothing if not eclectic.

Into The Woods

Once upon a Sondheim

'k'kir'ki

Release Date: 9 January

PG 1 125 minutes
Director: Rob Marshall

Cast: Meryl Gtreep, Emily Blunt, James Gorrien, Anna Kendrick,
Johnny Depp

There’S a jvioivient in

this film in which Chris Pine - as
Cinderella’s immaculately charming
Prince - sings at the top of his lungs
about how tortured he is to have lost
the woman who danced with him at
the ball, then ran away. As he
laments, he melodramatically tears
open his shirt to reveal his rippling
muscles. Whether it’s an intentional
homage to Pine’s Starfieet alter ego
or not, it’s glorious; the fact it takes
place in the middle of a singing
contest with the Prince from
“Rapunzel” only makes it funnier.
Two Princes having a sing- off about
who’s the most distraught? That’s
Into The Woods: a tongue-in-cheek
collection of fairytales shaken
together like a mythical cocktail into
a dazzling single story.

<

“They will flof ' f a?

build that bypass!”

Disney have finally brought
Stephen Sondheim’s acclaimed 1986
musical to the screen, and it’s a
stunning success. There’s the
star-packed cast; there’s the music,
whose playful lyrics delight; there’s
the fun that’s had with fairytale
tropes. Every time you think you
know where the well-trodden paths
of these storybook woods are going,
there’s a witty twist.

It’s a tad too long, with the more

downbeat second act occasionally
dragging, and Anna Kendrick’s
Cinderella and Lilia Crawford’s
Hood are, perhaps, rather shrill. But
these are tiny quibbles that don’t
really matter when the rest of the
film knocks it out of the park. Or
should that be out of the woods?
Jayne Nelson

A movie version of Into The Woods has
been in development hell since 1990. Once,
Robin Williams and Cher were set to star.

The Pyramid

Release Date: OUT NOW!

15 1 B9 minutes

Director: Gregory Levasseur

The

Inbetweeners’ James
Buckley takes the
clunge into horror,
playing a docu-
cameraman who
follows some archaeologists into
a three-sided pyramid so old it
rewrites the rule book on Egyptian
genealogy. Trapped, they soon
realise they’re not alone...

Essentially The Descent with
CGI rat- dogs, it also chucks toxic
dust and enough traps to scare off
Indiana Jones into the uneven mix.
Alexandre Aja’s long-time writing
partner Gregory Levasseur directs,
breaking the found-footage rules
whenever it aids his purpose and
never sure whether to dig for
po-faced, claustrophobic dread or
exhibit a gore-tastic vom-com. The
inventively nasty kills suggest he
should have settled for the latter...
it’s just a shame that everyone dies
in the exact order you’d expect.
Jamie Graham

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ALL THE FILMS VOU MUST SEEE

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Pure entertainment cut with total cobblers

★★★

EXTRAS

Release Date: 12 January

2D14M5IBIu-tay/DVD
Director: Lug Besson

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-sik, Amr
Waked, Julian RhinrI-Tutt

Hujvians only

I IIPV their

" y potential cerebral
. ■ j capacity, according to

one particularly
^ persistent myth. It’s
nonsense, of course. Studies have
disproved it in numerous ways - the
most obvious being that even tiny
amounts of brain damage can be
truly devastating. Still, it’s a fun
premise on which to hang a loopy
action movie, and that’s exactly what
The Fifth Element director Luc
Besson has done with Lucy.

Scarlett Johansson (in her fourth
big genre film of the last year,
following three critical and
commercial hits with Her, Under The
Skin and The Winter Soldier) plays
the titular student. When we first
meet Lucy, she’s rueing the effects of
a big night out and hanging out with
her douchey new boyfriend, Richard
- a guy with some seriously shady
connections and a mysterious
briefcase. Clearly nervous about its
contents, he cuffs the case to Lucy’s

Its better to make
a bold and
Interesting failure
than a boring
success

wrist and forces her to deliver it to
mob boss Jang (Oldboy star Choi
Min-sik). It doesn’t go well for
anyone involved...

Soon, Lucy and a number of other
unfortunates have had bags of
mysterious new drug CPH4 (which
looks not unlike Walter White’s blue
meth from Breaking Bad) implanted
into their stomachs. When Lucy’s
bag ruptures, the CPH4 gets into her
system and begins to unlock the
hidden potential of her brain. Within
hours she is smarter, faster, stronger
- and psychic. She can speak new
languages, control TVs by looking at
them and make guns fly out of
people’s hands. Burning through her
vastly reduced lifespan, she has just
just 24 hours to find more of the
drug and take down Jang’s gang.

Both Leon and Nikita ably
demonstrated Luc Besson’s action
chops, and the first half of Lucy feels
of a piece with his early hits. It’s fast,
action-packed and fun. Jang is an
unambiguously evil villain to rival
Gary Oldman’s bonkers, coke-
snorting turn in Leon, and it’s a
pleasure to see Miss Scarlett bring
the pain to his goons, even if you
can’t shake the feeling that The
Matrix did this sort of thing better 15
years ago. Likewise, the mid-movie
car chase has a goofy energy thanks
to Julien Key’s kinetic cutting. After
years of wishy-washy
disappointments, it feels like Besson
is returning to his comfort zone with
a lean, 86-minute actioner.

You can see the “But...” coming,
can’t you?

Lucy’s last third is a shambles. As
our heroine unlocks more of her
mental powers, the film grinds to a
halt and wanders down a pompous,
pseudo-profound blind alley. Time

travel, supercomputers and columns
of black goo enter the mix. Your
mind wanders back to the start of the
film and its opening shot of an ape in
the wild and you realise, with a
sudden snort of horrified laughter,
that this is Besson taking on Stanley
Kubrick. Lucy is his attempt to
remake 2001: A Space Odyssey, but
with added gunplay and explosions.
It stops the drama dead in its tracks
and the film’s ruminations on
humanity say nothing at all.

Throughout, the impressive cast
do their best with thin material.
Morgan Freeman is as gravelly and
warm as you’d expect, but spends

most of the film in front of
PowerPoint; he’s there to provide the
exposition but gets no dramatic
material. Amr Waked comes on,
shoots guns, and gets to snog
Johannson, but is otherwise
forgettable in a part that may as well
be named Hero Cop. Jarringly, the
most interesting person on screen is
Julian Rhind-Tutt who, in his few
brief scenes as an overly mannered
and polite baddie, walks off with the
entire movie. He vanishes 20
minutes in and is never seen again.

Then there’s Scarlett herself.
Johansson rarely turns in a less than
watchable performance, but there’s

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

DVDSBIU-RAV

little room for nuance here. On paper,
her character arc sounds fascinating. As
Lucy’s mind expands, her humanity
gradually starts to fall away (there are
shades of Watchmen’s Dr Manhattan
here). Unfortunately, the film switches
her from a sympathetic, likeable woman
to the Terminator almost immediately.
There’s little sense of progression, and
an early moment of intriguing moral
ambiguity - where she kills a terminally
ill patient in a hospital to save her own
life - is rapidly glossed over. The film’s
tight pacing is one of its strengths, but it
also means that characterisation gets
short shrift.

Still, it’s surely better to make a bold

and interesting failure than a boring
success. Lucy is short, sharp and
eccentric enough to stick in your
memory. It’s visually striking in
places, with bold psychedelic
splashes of colour. And, from a wider
point of view, it’s managed to do
something that both Marvel and DC
have, so far, failed to do: put a
woman front and centre in a
superhero film (for that’s exactly
what this is). Despite its flaws, it’s an
enjoyable action movie. It’s just a
shame that, for a film about the
limitless potential of the human
mind, the results are often so
hilariously stupid.

Extras: We’ll spare you a cheap gag
about what percentage of the disc
space is being left unused by this
frankly stingy selection of extras.

The DVD gets a single 16 -minute
feature, “The Evolution Of Lucy”,
featuring Scarlett Johansson,

Morgan Freeman and Luc Besson.
And that’s it. The Blu-ray adds
“Cerebral Capacity”, another
relatively short piece looking at
the science of the movie, hosted
by Freeman. And that’s yer lot.

Will Salmon

Lucy is named after the skeleton of a
female found in Ethiopia, who’s estimated
to have lived 3.2 million years ago.

Just Say
"Woah!”

Five more drugs with
incredible effects

CAN-D

The Three Stigmata Of
Palmer Eldritch

I In Philip K Dick’s 1965
novel, colonists on Mars
escape their boring lives by
chewing this “translation
drug”, which comes in gum
form. Used with Barbie-like
dolls, it allows users to
mentally identify with “Perky
Pat” and boyfriend Walt, and
enter their idealised world:
happy plastic, it’s fantastic!

DUST

Babylon 5

I Originally created by the
Psi Corps to produce human
telepaths, dust accelerates
neural processing 10 times,
and stimulates the gene for
telepathic ability. A dust user
can also experience someone
else’s memories, in a kind of
mental rape.

MELANGE

Dune

I Found only on desert world
Arrakis, this spice can not
only extend lifespan and
increase vitality, but allows
freighter pilots to travel vast
distances by entering a
“navigation trance”. Don’t try
snorting cinnamon to do the
commute home quicker; trust
us, it doesn’t work.

NZT-48

Limitless

I Lucy may inspire deja vu if
you’ve seen this 2011 thriller,
in which Bradley Cooper’s
author takes a smart drug to
beat writer’s block. Brain
boosted, he not only finishes
his novel but gets kick-ass
fighting skills and makes a
fortune on the stock market.

SLO-MO

Dredd

I Inhaling this caramel-
coloured liquid affects your
perception of reality, so that
everything seems to be
moving at 1% of the speed it
usually does - and not in the
rubbish Sunday-afternoon-
watching-Bargra/V? Hunt way.

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Extant

Season One

Not Berry good

'k'k EXTRAS

Release Date; 2 February

20UITBCIBIu-ray/DVD
Creator: Mickey Fisher

Cast: Haiie Berry, Goran Visniic, Pierce Gagnon, Michaei O’Neiii,
HiroyukiSanada

The latest

Spielberg-produced
telefantasy series feels
like the result of some
BOGOF offer on SF
plots that have passed
their expiration date.

Though lavishly produced, Extant
is little more than AI meets Lifeforce
with some wincingly- obvious parental
metaphors grafted on in an attempt to
give it a veneer of depth. John Woods
(Goran Visnjic) is the scientist “dad”
to prototype android Ethan. His wife
Molly (Halle Berry) is an astronaut
who returns from space impregnated
with a perception- altering alien baby.

Over the course of ten episodes
there are, perhaps, a couple of

moments when the series might have
something interesting to say, but these
are buried under some of the clunkiest
conspiracy-based action- adventure
plotting ever committed to screen.

The two plots never complement each
other on a themic level. Instead,
ultimately they seem to be nothing
more than a happy coincidence, so
that one can provide the resolution
to the other.

Berry, with the most irritating
fringe and impractical heels ever, is
utterly unconvincing as a wife,
astronaut, action hero and, indeed.

actress, playing crucial moments like
Jennifer Aniston in a light comedy.
The lad paying Ethan is wonderfully
odd, the effects are top-notch and
there’s some impressive production
design (a lot of the near-future tech
looks like leftovers from a Minority
Report brainstorm), but overall.

Extant is spirit- sappingly derivative.
Extras: A gag reel, trailers and seven
featurettes on all the usual behind-
the-scenes gubbins (totalling 89
minutes), but thankfully no gallery of
Goran Visnjic’s horrible cardigans.
Dave Golder

DPinkino Gcime

TAKE A SWIG OF YOUR ROMULAN
ALE EVERY TIME...

Someone gives a speech about
evolution.

Halle Berry runs from an enemy
in stupidly high heels.

Goran Visnjic wears a new
ghastly cardigan.

Halle Berry has to wipe her
ridiculous fringe out of her eyes.

Somebody reveals they have
artificial limbs.

Ethan “humorously”
misunderstands human traits.

Halle Berry says, “It’s my
BABY!”

Goran Visnjic says, “He’s our
SON!”

Somebody dead pops up for

a secret society who’ve mastered
how to return after death. And she’s
not the only one...

Simm does his best with a
character painted in broad strokes
(“I’ve got anger issues! Look, I just
punched the French doors!”), but he’s
overshadowed by Millie Brown as
Madison, a nine-year-old possessed
by a centuries-old serial killer. The
physicality of her performance
impresses: when she flashes a
murderous glare, or flops down in a
chair like a geezer, legs spread apart,
you buy it. And watching a little girl
cuss like a docker never gets old.

Intruders Season One

Mastering life after death

-k-k-k EXTRAS

Release Date; OUT NOW!

2in4l15IBIU<ay/DVD
Creator: Glen Morgan

Cast: John Simm, Mira Sorvino, Tory Kitties, James Frain,

Miiiie Brown

In jviany ways

this BBC America/BBC
Two co-production
resembles another
transatlantic
partnership. It revolves
around a shock revelation about death,
and a secret controlled by a small,
powerful elite. A key character’s a
sleazeball who does horrible things to
kids. The lead was a recurring guest
on Doctor Who; the exec producers
are alumni too. Hang on... it’s
Torchwood: Miracle Day all over again!

This dark, gritty paranormal
thriller isn’t quite as bewilderingly
all-over-the-shop as Captain Jack’s
last hurrah, though. John Simm is

Jack Harkn... sorry, Whelan, a
Troubled Ex- Cop drawn into a web
of conspiracy after his missus (Mira
Sorvino) starts acting out of character:
speaking Russian; stroking her arms
like they’re new to her and, most
disturbing of all, suddenly developing
a liking for jazz. Her soul’s been
displaced by one of the Qui Reverti,

The series’
mythology remains
regismntm logic

Intruders has its flaws, though.

Jack is annoyingly resistant to the
truth. After eight episodes, the series’
mythology remains both out of focus
and resistant to logic. And there’s
something faintly disrespectful
about the use of historical figures
- one returnee is jazz musician
Bix Beiderbecke. But the major
frustration is that it takes a big idea
with global implications, and
manages to make it seem small. All
too often the focus is on internecine
warfare between the Qui Reverti
and their hitmen lackeys; as a result
the stakes never seem as substantial
as they should.

Extras: One measly talking heads
intro featurette (10 minutes).

Ian Berriman

&

The first half of the season follows Michael
Marshall Smith’s 2007 novel The Intruders',
the second half veers away from it.

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

DVDSBIU-RAV

UKIP’s nightmare: alien immigrants you can’t send home

EXTRAS^^^V

Release Date: 19 January

2014|18|Blu-rav/DVD
Creator: RockneSO’Bannon

Cast: Grant Bowler, Stephanie Leonidas, Julie Benz, Jaime Murray,
Tony Curran

■ Season one of

Defiance ended on a
bum note, as Syfy’s
gritty, witty and
sliglitly pervy series
about humans and
various alien races being forced to
coexist on a post-apocalyptic Earth
quickly went all epic fantasy Gods,
resurrections and prophecies
suddenly took precedence over the
crime, politics and rutting that had
dominated most of the series.

Season two not only returns to
what the show does best - the crimes
get grimier, the politics get twistier
and the sex gets pervier - but also
seems desperate to try to rebalance

the fantasy excesses by giving them
an SF rationale. It partially succeeds...
until the season finale collapses under
the weight of its own pretensions.

So, for example, watching deposed
mayor of Defiance Amanda
Rosewater become a drug addict who
falls for the dubious charms of the
smarmy publicity- whore who’s been
installed as the new mayor is far more

fun than watching “little wolf” Irisa
turn into some kind of techno -
prophet. In fact, Irisa, one of the best
characters in season one, is hobbled
here by mostly looking confused and/
or sulky, separated from the other
characters with whom she used to
interact so sparkily.

The show’s other breakout
characters, such as the conniving (and

wonderfully sarcastic) alien doctor
Yewll, just get better and better,
though. Meanwhile, Datak and
Stahma Tarr, the mutually untrusting
husband and wife Mafia boss- style
Castithans, continue to outsmart each
other at every turn and make bath
time into a full contact sport. There’s
also a new nightclub for humans who
want to crossdress as aliens, murder
mysteries, and twists galore. And
aside from a few dodgy CG effects the
show looks amazing, with some
gorgeously grungy production design.

It seems odd to want a show to be
less ambitious, but Defiance definitely
works better when it’s dealing with
the everyday nitty gritty of its
characters rather than big concepts.
Extras: An alternate ending for
season one (four minutes), deleted
scenes (24 minutes), a gag reel (seven
minutes), a behind-the-scenes look at
the show in the company of actor
Jesse Rath (22 minutes), and five
minisodes - “The Lost Ones” - which
bridge the gap between seasons one
and two (25 minutes). Dave Golder

There are several real-life communities
caiied Defiance in the USA, including the
one where frontiersman Daniel Boone died.

Defiance Season Two

The Rover

Sad Max

'k'k'k EXTRAS

Release Date; OUT NOW!

2D14l15IBIII-tav/DVD
Director: David Michod

Cast: Guy Pearce, Rober t Pattinson, Scoot McNairy, Gillian Jones

Believe everything

you see on the big screen
and you’d be forgiven for
thinking there’s never been
a more wretched hive of
scum and villainy than the
Australian outback.

True to the desolate desert’s on-screen
legacy, the Oz of The Rover seems like an
extraordinarily unpleasant place to live.

Ten years after a catastrophic financial
collapse, it’s a nation without hope. US
dollars and the business end of a dusty rifle
are the only accepted forms of currency.

No one looks like they’ve even heard of
soap, let alone used it.

A simple tale of
revenge stretched to
hreaking point »

Enter Eric (Guy Pearce), a man whose life
is located at the bottom of a bottle, and then
gets worse. After stopping at a dingy
watering hole Eric’s car is stolen -
prompting a pedestrian, but blood-filled,
pursuit across the barren landscape. Along
the way Eric picks up Robert Pattinson’s Rey,
the left-for-dead younger brother of Scoot
McNairy’s car thief, leading the two to strike
up an unconventional partnership.

It’s a minimalist tale more concerned with
minutiae and atmosphere than sweeping
plot developments. Tonally and in terms of
action it’s much closer to The Road than the
costumed theatrics of the Mad Max films.
Guy Pearce is dependably great as the
brooding spirit of vengeance driven to get
his car back at any cost, while Pattinson
impresses as Rey, the tricky drawl and mess
of mannerisms a lifetime away from sparkly
vamp Edward Cullen.

It’s beautifully staged and shot by David
Michod, who captures bleak tragedy in every
frame. But for all the talent on both sides of
the camera, the film has nothing to say. It’s a
simple tale of revenge stretched to breaking
point that fails to engage for large swathes as
a result. It only just feels like it’s in SFX
territory too, the world so thinly sketched
you wonder why they even bothered with
the five-minutes-in-the-future set-up. A
missed opportunity.

Extras: A director’s commentary and a
dull 45-minute Making Of. Jordan Farley

Actor Joel Edgerton (Owen Lars in the Star Wars
prequels) co-wrote the script with David Michod,
but doesn’t star.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

Gania & Hess

ATLANTIS SERIES TWO, PART ONE
Release Date: OUT NOW!

2D14M2|Blu-ray/DVD

I So far, series two of Merlin-
in-Greek-cosplay has been all
about swordfights in dodgy
day-for-night filming and
I wandering around deserts and
caves with wounded colleagues. Still little
sign of much water - this is called Atlantis,
for Poseidon’s sake - and the plots are
more derivative than a Boyzone setlist. But
it undeniably looks spectacular, boasting
some great small-screen action and
impressive production design, and
the banter between the three leads
is fun. It’s just a shame the show is so
unadventurous when it comes to its scripts.
Oh, and has eve/yboc/y forgotten that
Jason is from the future?

DARK HOUSE

Release Date; 5 January

2014 118 1 DVD

I Jeepers Creepers director
! Victor Salva’s latest follows
i Nick (Luke Kleintank), a guy
I who can tell if you’re going
I to die a violent death simply
by touching you, a power which may be
inherited. That’s just one element of a plot
which also encompasses a house that can
move about of its own accord, a holy war
between demons and angels, and a bunch
of lumbering, axe-wielding maniacs led by
Saw’s Jigsaw, Tobin Bell. When so many
direct-to-video movies are lacking in any
ideas it may seem churlish to chide one for
having too many, but there’s simply too
much going on in Dark House for it to have
any hope of achieving coherence.

The Boxtralls

Making good use of the things that they find

mayor’s daughter (Elle Fanning) just
as her dad’s rule is threatened by the
nasty Archibald Snatcher (Ben
Kingsley). Snatcher wants to run
things and, to get the townsfolk on
his side, launches a campaign to
round up the Boxtrolls. Boo! Hiss!

The voice cast are perfect, with
Richard Ayoade in particular
providing giggles as a thoughtful
henchman. The production design is
beautifully gothic, there are laughs
by the bucketload and the animation
is utterly divine. Witty, sweet and
cute, you’ll love The Boxtrolls as
much as a cat loves an empty box.
Extras: On the Blu-ray (rated):
commentary by the directors; six
animatic sequences (with
commentary, 19 minutes); a five-part
behind-the-scenes piece (33
minutes); six short featurettes. On
DVD: nada. Meg Wilde

The film is based on Here Be Monsters!, a
book by Alan Snow. He once made tea for
Tears For Fears (as a studio technician).

★★★★ EXTRAS^^^

Release Date: 26 January

2014|PG|Blu-rav3DS(Blu-ray/DVD

Directors: Graham Annable, Anthony Stacchi

Cast: Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstearl Wright, Elle Fanning, Jarerl

Harris, Nick Frost

From the

studio behind
Coraline - and thus
filmed in gorgeous
stopmotion - The
Boxtrolls is a
thoroughly entertaining adventure
featuring a race of creatures kids
will love to bits. The Boxtrolls live
under the streets of the little town of
Cheesebridge and emerge at night to
collect all the interesting rubbish
they can find. The citizens, rather
than seeing them for the useful
recyclers that they are, are terrified,
particularly since the Boxtrolls once
apparently stole a baby...

That baby is now a little boy
named Eggs (Isaac Hempstead
Wright), who gets pally with the

The arthouse Blacula

★★★

EXTRAS ★★★

Release Date: 26 January

1973l18IDua1-fotmatB1u-tavS1DVD
Director: Bill Gunn

Cast: Duane Jones, Marlene Clark, Bill Gunn, Sam Waymon

Thanks to its

African-American
cast and crew and use
of vampirism, Ganja St
Hess is often bracketed
with blaxploitation
horrors. But writer/director Bill
Gunn’s cult curio has none of the
camp appeal of Blacula. This is an
avowedly avant-garde effort, with all
the attendant idiosyncrasies and
frustrations that implies.

Night Of The Living Dead’s Duane
Jones is Dr Hess Green, a dapper,
moneyed anthropologist who’s
cursed with a taste for blood when
his new assistant stabs him with an
ancient ceremonial dagger. After
said assistant commits suicide, his
widow Ganja comes looking - and
very soon hooks up with Hess.

Languid pacing, opaque editing
strategies, a weirdly diffident central
performance, and Gunn’s total lack
of interest in the genre thrills he was
hired to provide test your patience.
At times it’s hard to tell whether it’s
the work of a total incompetent or a
Godardian provocateur. Possibly both.

But there are moments that
reward your effort: a striking image
here; a poetic monologue there. And
the score, which takes African
chanting and treats it with echo to
lend it a shimmering psychedelic
resonance, is a triumph.

Extras: Commentary by Marlene
Clark (Ganja), the cinematographer,
the composer and a producer; 29
minutes of talking heads; the
screenplay; a booklet. Be warned:
the film’s been pieced together from
various prints, and often looks
pretty ropey. Ian Berriman

Spike Lee’s latest film, Da Sweet Blood Of
Jesus, is a remake of Ganja & Hess. It’s due
for release on 13 February.

METROPOLIS

ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION
Release Date; 19 January

1927 IPG I Blu-ray

I A new two-disc Blu-ray
Steelbook edition of Fritz
I Lang’s silent classic. Like the
Ij previous Blu-ray release, it
1 includes a restoration making
use of a print discovered in Argentina in
2008, featuring 25 minutes of footage
once thought lost. The extras previously
available (expert commentary, 53-minute
documentary, 56-page booklet) are joined
by Metropolis Refound, a 45-minute
documentary about the print’s rediscovery;
disco producer Giorgio Moroder’s electro-
pop makeover of the film; and a vintage
behind-the-scenes documentary about
that 1984 version (18 minutes).

RESURRECTION
OF THE MUMMY

Release Date: OUT NDW!

20141151 DVD

I Beware, fans of the Universal
franchise starring Brendan
Fraser: don’t be suckered into
! giving this entirely unrelated
I movie (also known as The
Mummy Resurrected) a try. The slender
plot sees six young women visiting the
tomb of a sorcerer, then being picked off
one by one as they’re stalked by a mummy.
The acting is pretty terrible (none of the
girls seems particularly concerned by
their friends’ deaths), characters act in a
bewildering way, and there are massive
plotholes. To be fair, the mummy design is
decent, but then it doesn’t even show up

until about 50 minutes in.

Get news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

No beginning. No end.

T)iscover tKe patK to infinity.

There are four quarters to

They can be read in any order

and the story will work. .

W'itch. ^

>cf,

to infinity

L here ef ic tion.tu m bl r. co m

Six Gothic Tales

They Ushered in a new age of horror

EXTRAS

Release Date: OUT NOW!

1960-1964 M2 1 Blu-tay
Director: Roger Gorman

Cast: Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone,

Lon Chaney Jr, Elizabeth Shepherd

Between

I960 and 1964,

B -movie king
Roger Gorman
directed eight
Edgar Allen Poe
films. This box set presents three
quarters of the cycle, all starring
Vincent Price, four of them here
making their UK HD debut.

The connection to the author’s
work is often tenuous; indeed, one
is more an HP Lovecraft film. All six
are compendiums of the crepuscular:
misty moors, cobwebs, secret
passages, black cats, random
tarantulas, decaying mansions
tumbling down in flames.

The first. The Fall Of The House
Of Usher, is probably the best, a
deeply Freudian tale of burial alive
with troubling undercurrents of
incest. The Pit And The Pendulum,
which bolts a two-act prelude onto
a tableau of torture, works well
enough, but feels rather like an
Usher remix.

Tales Of Terror takes the
anthology route. Adapting three
stories, it stumbles with a crudely
comedic take on “The Black Cat”,
but recovers with an unsettling
adaptation of “The Facts In The Case
Of M Valdemar”, thanks largely to a
commanding turn by Basil Rathbone
as a maniacal mesmerist.

After his fourth Poe film Cor man
was wearying of the format;
thankfully this led him to mix things
up from then on. So The Raven is
goofy horror- comedy, a tale of
squabbling sorcerers which
delightfully pokes fun at genre
trappings - “Hard place to clean,
huh?”, Peter Lorre cracks of a
cobwebbed crypt. Its climactic
battle, in which Price and Boris
Karloff trade optical- effect magic
attacks, is an utter delight.

The Haunted Palace deviates even
further, being more an adaptation of
Lovecraft’s “The Strange Case Of
Charles Dexter Ward”; though it still
channels Poe, a sequence featuring
eyeless mutants, offspring of human
women and the old gods, feels
jarringly of the Cthulhu mythos.

The split role it provides Price, as a
gentle man possessed by a cruel
ancestor, is one of his best. Finally,

after seven films confined to sound
stages (a deliberate choice, to weave
an unreal atmosphere). The Tomb Of
Ligeia, shot in England, lets loose
Gorman’s camera to scamper along
with a fox hunt and roam a ruined
abbey. Scripted by Chinatown’s
Robert Towne, it feels liberated in
another way too, with a surprisingly
independently- minded heroine.

Certain themes repeat with
clockwork regularity: physical and
mental corruption; families cursed
to repeat the past; a morbid
fascination with death. Gorman’s
penny-pinching means sets and
shots recur too; deja vu descends
whenever a mysteriously
combustible castle erupts into

Allsixnimsare
compendiums of
the crepuscular

familiar-looking flames. This means
a marathon viewing session is best
avoided, but watched in isolation, all
six films succeed.

Extras: An impressive array, too
many to list here. They include six
commentaries across four films
(Usher and Ligeia each have a pair);
one of these (on The Haunted Palace
by Price’s biographer) is new, the
others carried over from previous
releases. There are ten interviews
(144 minutes); four of which (all
with Ligeia crew) are new. Three
new featurettes (67 minutes) are all
talking heads with critics, with Kim
Newman sounding forth a little
ramblingly on first Poe and then
Lovecraft adaptations, and Anne
Billson talking cats in horror.

These bonuses are a little hit and
miss: audio quality on one of the
Ligeia commentaries is offputtingly
poor, while a German documentary
on Peter Lorre’s career from 1984
is plodding and pretentious - still,
their inclusion will satisfy
completists. And there are gems too,
like an insightful new interview with
Gorman’s assistant on Ligeia, or a
short promo record for The Raven
which amusingly presents it as “an
adventure into monstrous terror”.

Plus, the accompanying booklet is
superb: 200 pages long, it includes
intelligent essays on all the films and
one final treat: reproductions of the
tie-in comic adaptations of three
of the films. Ian Berriman

Filming The Raven, Jack Nicholson endured
an ordure ordeal: “The raven we used shit
endlessly over everybody and everything.”

★★★ EXTRAS

Release Date: OUT NOW!

2014 1 15 1 DVD
Director: Ashley Pierce

Cast: Jodie Comer, Michael Palin, Mark Addy, Julia Sawalha,
Sheila Hancock

Bafflingly

scheduled in the
run-up to Christmas
when once it would
have been parachuted
right into the middle
of it, this MR James-styled chiller
made most of its headlines by
being the series that welcomed
Michael Palin back to dramatic
acting. As eightysomething Tom,
he’s absolutely the reason to
watch, giving a tender and sweetly
vulnerable performance that belies
his relatively youthful 71 years.

As the teenage nurse at the
centre of it all, Jodie Comer
easily holds her own alongside a
veteran-heavy cast, though Mark
Addy’s journey from regular
put-upon copper to someone who
can talk about ghosts without
raising an eyebrow takes some
hard swallowing.

As a ghost story, Gwyneth
Hughes’s three-parter seems to
have been given more space than it
needed. Supernatural fiction often
needs some breathing space for
atmosphere, but Remember Me’s
favoured shots of dripping taps,
mantlepieces groaning with old
photos and moody shots of the
Yorkshire skyline do feel tediously
patience-testing after a while.

It’s certainly nice to look at,
with some handsomely composed
shots courtesy of cinematographer
Tony Miller, but it’s all so leaden
and self-conscious. Though
Hughes and director Ashley Pierce
should be commended for bucking
the cliche and locating so many of
their scares in broad daylight.
Remember Me’s lumpish pace only
reminds you quite how beautifully
economical those old BBC MR
James adaptations of the ’70s were.
Extras: None. Steve O’Brien

Michael Palin’s last dramatic role was in
GBH, which includes a hilarious sequence
set at a Doctor Who convention.

Remember Me

A Ghost Story Before Christmas

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DVDSBIU-RAV

Blu-ray Debut

The Thief
Of Bagdad

Pure genie-us

'k'k'k'k'k EXTRAS'^'A'

Release Date: OUT NOW!

1910 1 Ul Blu-ray

Directors: Various

Cast: Sabu, June Duprez, Conrad Veidt

Billed as ‘‘The

wonder picture of all
time!”, The Thief Of
Bagdad isn’t short
on ambition.

This remake of
1924’s Douglas Fairbanks
swashbuckler was mounted by
British movie impressario
Alexander Korda and burned
through the talents of no less than
six directors, including the brilliant
Michael Powell (The Red Shoes).

So it’s no surprise that it dreams
in Technicolor, drunk on the
possibilities of cinema, still such a
young artform in 1940. It conjures a
storybook world where Sultans’
palaces seem carved from nougat
and ancient mythology melts into
Art Deco splendor. There are
minarets and elephants, flying

As Above, So
Below

Tunnel vision

'k'k'k EXTRAS

Release Date; OUT NOW!

20MM5IBIu-tay/DVD
Director: John Erick Dowdle

Cast: Perriita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge, Francois Civil,
Marlon Lambert

A British

academic leads a
scary jaunt into the
Catacombs beneath
Paris on a hunt for
real-life alchemist
Nicholas Flamel and his
immortality-granting philosopher’s
stone. Obsessed archaeology
professor Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita
Weeks) may have elements of
Indiana Jones in her DNA, but As
Above, So Below is a very different
kind of movie, a creepy, low-budget
horror that succeeds in unsettling
without ever quite managing to give
you the genuine willies.

The writing/directing/producing
Dowdle brothers (Quarantine, Devil)
shot in the Catacombs for real, and
they mine the dark and
claustrophobia of Paris’s labyrinthine

carpets and laughing genies,
monstrous spiders in mountain
temples and mechanical horses
soaring over a Basra that only
Scheherazade knew.

It’s an absolute cake of a film. And
while the love story may be
sugar- rich, Conrad Veidt’s icy
sorcerer makes for a compelling
antagonist, more thwarted romantic
lead than generically hissable villain.
Plucky boy daredevil Sabu has
enough charisma to ignite the screen
and the effects still crackle with a
pioneering wow.

Be warned, though: the refrain of
Sabu’s sea shanty (“I want to be a
bandit/Can’t you understand it?”)
will stalk your head for days.
Extras: Trailer, image gallery,
poster gallery. Nick Setchfield

Vivien Leigh was the original choice to
play the princess, but then won the role of
Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind.

subterranean tunnel system for all
it’s worth. They also give the
found-footage subgenre a new lease
of life, making the characters’
individual POVs and personal
camera lights key to the storytelling.

Unfortunately the scares - a mix
of psychological horror, ancient
myths reheated, and weird figures
lurking in the corner of your eye -
have little real structure, and by the
final act the movie feels more like a
fairground haunted house ride than
a story, throwing shocks at you with
little rhyme or reason.

Extras: The Blu-ray release (rated)
comes with only “Inside As Above,
So Below”, a sub-four-minute
featurette that gives the briefest
snapshot of the movie’s origins. The
DVD has zero. Richard Edwards

&

In the Harry Potter books, Nicholas Flamel
is an old friend of Albus Dumbledore; he
plays a big role in The Phiiosopher’s Stone.

Dead Snow 2:

Red Vs Dead

EXTRAS'^'^'^

Release Date: 12 January

BOMIIBIBIu-ray/DVD

Tommy

Wirkola’s sequel to
his 2009 Nazi
zombie horror
begins by pulling a
Halloween II:
picking up exactly where we left
off, then putting the hero into
hospital. Thereafter the MO is to
ramp up the scale, as the undead
stormtroopers attack a small town.
This time they have a tank...

Pitting this rotten Reich against
resurrected Red Army soldiers
feels old hat given that Outpost III
played the same card, and the
addition of a trio of Star Wars-
quoting American geeks feels like
pandering to the US market.
Fortunately, the physical humour
hits the bullseye, with plenty of
gory deaths that simultaneously
make you wince and guffaw.
Extras: Director/co-writer
commentary; an amusing short; an
effects breakdown. Ian Berriman

Beyond

EXTRAS-At

Release Date: 12 January

20141151090

This is a

battle of two
awkward indie
performances, as
Richard J Danum
(Cole) - haunted,
understated, dark - locks horns
with Gillian MacGregor (Maya) -
unpleasant but eventually
sympathetic. The pair squabble
and squirm their way through a
fraught relationship, one knitted as
the Earth is threatened, and
unravelling under the pressure of
broken parenthood and the
struggles of impending doom.

Jumping back and forth between
bleak pre- and post-apocalyptic
threads. Beyond is a pretty
uncomfortable watch. Various
symbolism scattered throughout
collides into the marginally
unsatisfying conclusion, and it
doesn’t make a vast point outside
of its own bubble, but since the
film also doesn’t overstay its
welcome it deserves a pass.
Extras: A trailer. Alex Cox

Honeymoon

EXTRAS

Release Date: 26 January

2D14M5|Blu-ray/DVD

^ After THE

most adorable DIY
wedding any hipster
couple could ever
dream up, newlyweds
Bea (Rose Leslie) and
Paul (Harry Treadaway) head to a
cabin in the woods for a budget
honeymoon. At first, it’s great - the
cabin is old-fashioned but secluded,
and all they’re really interested in
is one another anyway. Then, one
night, Bea sleepwalks out into the
forest, and what she encounters
changes everything...

Honeymoon takes its time
establishing its characters. The
chemistry between the two leads is
palpable and their relationship
believable, if overly cutesy. The
tension builds slowly as things get
gradually weirder, then it all pays
off sickeningly; you’ll need a strong
stomach. And though the ending
won’t answer all your questions,
emotionally it’s devastating.
Extras: Two outtakes and a
trailer. Sarah Dobbs

Len Behind ^

±_ EXTRAS

Release Date: OUT NOW!

2D14M5|Blu-ray/DVD

You’d think

that any Rapture-
themed movie to be
blessed with Nicolas
Cage’s presence
would be overflowing
with boggle-eyed freak-out
moments. But the Cage we get
here just looks bored and weary,
like a once wild-limbed puppet
who’s had his strings snapped.
Despite Cage’s 15-year reputation
suicide, this a new nadir, a clunkily
directed and deadeningly po-faced
apocalyptic drama with a beefy
Christian message.

It’s based on a crazily popular
series of Biblically inspired novels
co-written by evangelical minister
Tim LaHaye. Now, there’s nothing
wrong with Christian-fuelled
stories, but as non-believers like
Cage’s adulterous air captain are
left to burn on Earth, Left Behind
delivers its God report in such a
sanctimonious way it stands little
chance of converting non-believers.
Extras: None. Steve O’Brien

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DARK INTESCiGENCE

A TRANSFORMATION NOVEL

Dark Intelligence

Ch-ch-ch-ch changes

'k'k'ki

Release Date. 29 January

400 pages Hardback/ebook
Author: Neal Asber

Publisher: Tor

The Polity books have

never been for the faint-hearted.
Replete with iiber-violence, more
gore than you’d find on a planet-
sized abattoir and the nagging sense
that something horrible might
happen at any moment, these are
SF novels that mix early cyberpunk’s
insouciance with the widescreen
baroque spectacle of space opera
and the pacing of an airport
action-thriller.

But even by Neal Asher’s
standards, there’s something
particularly grisly about Dark
Intelligence, the first book of his
new Transformation series.

That’s because, as the name
suggests, grotesque transformations
underpin the story. In particular,
we get to look on as gangster
Isobel Satomi - not a lady you’d
willingly spend time with - is
transformed into a Hooder, a vast
predator. At which point it may
help to quote Asher’s own blog:

“Take a human spine and graft a
horseshoe crab on the end of it, and
you’re about there.” Lovely.

As to why she’s undergoing
such a metamorphosis, this is
rooted in her own greed, stupidity
and lust for power - she’s someone
who asks for help without thinking
too deeply on what the price
extracted for assistance might be -
yet also in her encounters with a
rogue AI, Penny Royal (of whom
more later), and a former soldier,
Thorvald Spear.

It’s Spear we meet first, as he’s
reawakened when a “memcrystal”
containing his personality is found
after long years lost. As he comes
back to life in a new body, even
though he’s rich (what with salary
having accrued while he’s been out
of action), Spear isn’t in a good
mood. Haunted by terrible memories
of combat and the aftermath of
capture, he wants revenge against
Penny Royal, which he blames for
turning on its own side when it was
sent to rescue Spear and his
colleagues from a showdown with
Prador forces (this time think
genocidal alien crabs bristling
with weaponry).

Penny Royal (a name derived
from a herb used to induce
abortions, which at the very least
suggests self-image issues), is
thus set up as the baddie here,
a crazy, scarily powerful intelligence
that needs to be wiped from the
universe for the sake of everyone
else. And yet Dark Intelligence is a
novel where things are rarely as
they seem, where even memory
itself, so easy to tinker with, can
be unreliable. That’s not to say
Penny Royal isn’t dangerous
- it is - but who’s to say what its
motivations might be?

It’s a book where there are far
more ambiguities than the action-
driven plot, which essentially charts
Spear’s hunt for Penny Royal and
Isobel’s hunt for them both, might
initially suggest. All to the good...
and yet this in itself also highlights
the novel’s chief weakness. Bear with
us here because this may initially
seem churlish, but Asher is a novelist
who dearly loves to entertain, to
construct setpieces where things
explode in spectacular and
crowd-pleasing fashion. The trouble
is that all this surface noise too often
seems somehow to distract from the
world he’s creating. Imagine visiting
a theme park and spending literally
every moment on the rides.

It’s a double shame because many
of the underlying ideas here - that

There are far
more ambiguities
than the action-
driven piot
might suggest

when people (using the word here
to encompass all manner of clever
creatures) change form, their
perspective changes; that people’s
perspective on the past shapes what
they do in the present and the plans
they make for the future - cry out
for the more careful exploration
that, say, Iain M Banks would have
given them.

Perhaps this will be addressed
in future books, but for now you’re
left wondering whether Asher
being so good at what he does
might just be holding him back
from doing other things better.
Jonathan Wright

Asher says the Prador grew from a “long-
time love of sea-life - especially the kind of
stuff you find under rocks at low tide”.

ian Sleuens and l^ana IDoore

ByYnurCnmmand

Volume Two

Heavy enough to stun a skinjob

'k'k'k

Release Date; OUT NOW!

655 pages I Paperback

Authors: Alan Stevens and Fiona Moore

Publisher: Telos

With Blood & Chrome

deactivated and no further
spin-offs planned, it’s a funny time
for an in-depth book on Battlestar
Galactica. Still, distance does at
least mean that By Your Command
can claim to be comprehensive.
Well, you’d certainly hope it is -
it’s bleedin’ enormous.

While the first volume looked
at the original series, this second
concentrates entirely on Ronald D
Moore’s edgy, politically-charged
reboot. Every episode gets a
detailed synopsis and critical
analysis, while the series’ arcs and
themes are also probed. Short-
lived spinoffs Caprica and Blood St
Chrome are covered - though not
in nearly as much depth - but most
intriguing is a chapter detailing
Bryan Singer’s aborted TV reboot.

Facts come thick and fast, and
Stevens and Moore’s accessible
style makes the book easy to dip in
and out of. Did you know that
Serenity makes a fly-by in the
miniseries? Or that the show was
originally intended to feature
24-style split-screen? Even if you
did, the sheer density of
information means that you’re
bound to discover something new.

Episode guides are rather
redundant in this age of series-
specific wikis, and there’s little
need for the 20+ pages of cast and
crew credits. But there’s no
denying the weight of information.
This’ll make a fine living room
companion during marathon
watches. Will Salmon

In the ’70s series Pyramid’s a card game
and Triad a sport. The reboot mixed
them up so they’re the other way round.

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

Saint Odd

oddball but entertaining ending

'k'k'ki

Release Date: 15 January

442 pages Hardback/ebook
Author: Dean Koontz

Publisher: HarperCollins

Dean Koontz’s original

paranormal pot-boiler, Odd Thomas,
arrived back in 2003 and became an
instant bestseller. Since then there’s
been a spin-off novella, a humdrum
Hollywood movie, a trilogy of
graphic novels and a series of
sequels - of which Saint Odd is the
seventh. This is also, apparently, the
final instalment.

A wryly paradoxical conclusion is
indicative of the sort of wit that fans
of the franchise will probably come
to miss the most. Odd Thomas
himself, however, is not given the
breathless send-off one might hope
for. Instead, a considerable bulk of
Koontz’s latest book is spent with
the likeable psychic making a
slightly meandering return to his
hometown of Pico Mundo,
California, and grappling with the

dean'

K QO N T Z

DEAN
K QO N T Z

loose ends of previous adventures.
The desert setting provides a
fittingly claustrophobic backdrop to
Thomas’s alienation and loneliness
- and creates a dry sense of
foreboding - but there’s little here to
make the reader feel uneasy. It’s told
in the first person, unfolding as an
intimate and detailed travelogue,
and the author knows how to make
his pulpy subject matter seem
urgent, but a general sense of
suspense is missing.

The text might threaten “sex,
savagery and satanic ceremony” but
any such transgression is given little
detail. This is unfortunate because,
thematically, a bit more grit would
have complemented the “all or
nothing” sense of Thomas’s ultimate
challenge and search for inner
peace. Moreover, despite some
interesting encounters, from car
chases to ravenous coyotes and
creepy cultists, an overriding sense
of lovelorn despair occasionally
makes Saint Odd something of an
endurance test.

Perhaps to keep the sense of
mystery lingering, Koontz hangs
almost every chapter on a
cliffhanger - often with the promise
of forthcoming anarchic chaos.
Unfortunately, the biggest mystery is
why it takes so long before the really
interesting otherworldly insanity of
this series begins to kick in. By this
point, there seems to be little point
in beginning the action with such
a religious sense of restraint. That
said, though, this is still Koontz on
fine form - and the final payoff for
his most enduring creation is
positively saintly. Calum Waddell

Also out: “You Are Destined To Be Together
Forever”, a short ebook which looks back
to where it all began for Odd and Stormy.

The Boy Who
Wept Blood

Not quite a fantasy Renaissance

'AiK'k

Release Date: 29 January

608 pages Hardbaek/ebook
Author: Den Patrick

Publisher: Gollancz

Based in an alternate

version of I4th century Italy, Den
Patrick’s interesting but not entirely
remarkable Erebus Sequence owes
as much to Game Of Thrones as it
does to The Borgias. This second
volume takes place a decade after
the conclusion of opening instalment
The Boy With The Porcelain Blade,
and the decade-long gap means that
you don’t necessarily have to be
familiar with what has gone before.

Like Westeros, the mythical realm
of Landfall is divided into a series of
rival houses, who are predictably
constantly at each other’s throats;
lead character Dino even has a
miniature dragon that perches upon
his shoulder. Like George RR
Martin, Patrick dials down the
fantastical elements to good effect,
concentrating instead on the
political shenanigans between the

Macaque Attack

Monkey tragic

Release Date: 15 January

347 pages Paperback/ebook
Author: GaretbL Powell

Publisher: Solaris

On paper, Macaque

Attack seems like it’ll be a lot of fun.
It’s full of great ideas: a cigar-
chomping military monkey who
drops both f-bombs and real bombs!
Parallel reality cyborg- assassins! A
tough woman who’s married to a
hologram! But ideas aren’t enough
on their own; great stories need soul.

Perhaps we’re naive to expect
greatness from a plot that sounds
like a YouTube supercut of several
DTV ’80s action flicks. Hell, this is
the third part of an award-winning
trilogy centring around a talking
skyliner captain/monkey named
Ack-Ack, for goodness sake. But just
because it’s about an army of
multiverse-jumping monkeys facing
an evil cyborg invasion doesn’t mean
it can’t be well-written. Macaque
Attack’s combination of genuinely
fun B -movie concepts and cliched
description makes it a chore to get
through. There’s only so many

opposing parties that occasionally
erupt into vicious swordfights.

Patrick has a strong eye for
character: the tender relationship
between Dino and Anea, the mute
Silent Queen, is particularly well
drawn, while Dino’s priggish
reaction to being embroiled in a
sordid conspiracy to expose another
character’s homosexuality is also
deftly handled.

With some devastating revelations
concerning the mysterious Erebus
figure, the stage is set for the final
part. Hopefully by then, the story
will add up to more than the sum of
its influences. Stephen Jewell

Den Patrick will be discussing the series
at Waterstone’s Piccadilly on Thursday
28 January. For tickets, call 0207 851 240.

ouuerrimet

A BOOK IN BULLET POINTS

DYSTOPIA

Release Da- 15 January

128 pages Hardback
Author: Dave Golder
Publisher: Flame Tree Publishing

The latest in
the large-format
Gothic Dreams
series, which
combine 60-oclcl
illustrations
(usually in the
form of fantasy
art) with 10,000
words of copy.

This potted overview
of the SF genre du jour seeks to
define what a dystopia is, explore
common themes and chart how the

genre has developed, not only in
literature but also in films, television
and videogames.

Along the way there are some
attractive paintings of, for example,
overgrown skyscrapers and a flooded
London.

Would make a good starting point
for a young fan of The Hunger Games
who’s ready to have their horizons
expanded.

Long-time SFX editor Dave Golder
wrote the text, so you should all buy
a copy.

In fact, buy two copies. Then give
them away and buy two more.

MACAPUe

ATTACK

irv. I

GARETH L. POWELL

“Powerful muscles rippling like
pistons” similes you can take before
you start to feel your brains dribbling
out of your nose. And motherf **king
Ack-Ack’s f **king tendency to effing
eff every other effing word gets
tiresome incredibly quickly.

It ends with a false epilogue
(without it, the conclusion would be
incredibly unsatisfactory)
suggesting more to come, so we can
only pray to Semos (god in the
Planet Of The Apes series, a
franchise that proves the potential
of pulp primates) that this really is

the end of Ack-Ack’s adventures.

Sam Ashurst

0

Gareth’s younger brother Huw is also an
SF author: Spacejackers, the first book in
a children’s trilogy, came out last summer.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

pPolodi

The Invisible
Library

Raiders Of The Lost Books

'k'k'kici

Release Date: 15 January

330 pages Paperback/ebook
Author: Genevieve Gogman

Publisher: Tor

This delightful

steampunk fantasy has so much
fun with its central premise that
we can only guess at the glorious
ideas that didn’t end up on the
page because there wasn’t enough
room - but that’s what sequels are
for, hopefully

The Invisible Library is the tale
of a librarian named Irene who
embarks upon quests to alternate
worlds to bring back important
books for safekeeping in a magical
library. Each world is different:
there are dragons, Fae, robotic
alligators, Zeppelins, detectives
who could give Sherlock Holmes
a run for his money...

The only downside is a slight
tendency to keep exposition scenes
dragging on for too long, but that’s
a small issue in an otherwise
marvellous debut. Jayne Nelson

This is Cogman’s first novel, though she’s
also written RPG sourcebooks. By day,
she’s a classifications speciaiist in the NHS.

11: ."V t > c J

SA>4J3HRSON'

Hrefigbt

Epic win

★★★★

Release Date: 8 January

432 pages Hardback/ebook
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Gollancz

Brandon Sanderson’s

Reckoners series has a compelling
hook. What if normal people gained
superpowers, and what if these new
“Epics” didn’t use them for good?

After defeating Steelheart in the
fast-paced first book, Steelslayer
David Charleston and the
Reckoners return to face another
superpowered villain. Leaving the
steel city of Newcago, they journey
to old New York where the Epic
Regalia, a powerful hydromancer,
rules the flooded, glow-in-the-
dark remains of Manhattan island.

Like Steelheart, Firefight
challenges the Reckoners to kill
the villain and save the city. But
how do you fight an Epic that can
manipulate water? How do you
defeat a man who can teleport
away? It’s another brisk YA fantasy
from Sanderson - inventive,
action- stuffed and surprising
until the end. Dean Evans

&

Also available: Mitosis, a novella set
between books one and two, about a
villain who can split himself into clones.

1

THERE

WILL

I IF^

NICK LAKE

There Will Be Lies

Rescuing the inner child

'k'k'k

Release Date: DUTNDW!

454 pages Hardback/ebook
Author: Nick Lake

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s

After being run over

by a car and taken on the run by
her over-protective mother,
homeschooled teenager Shelby
Cooper comes to realise just how
much of her life is built on lies...

This YA story could be a
straight-up coming- of- age tale,
were it not for the presence of
Coyote, the Native American
trickster god. Shelby repeatedly
enters “The Dreaming”, where
Coyote tells her she has to rescue
“the child” from “The Crone”.

The parallels between Shelby’s
life, in which she’s forced to come
to terms with a family she never
knew she had, and her quest to
save a stolen child in the Dreaming
are clear (and possibly all too
obvious). While the tale is
well- constructed there’s a lack of
emotional depth that makes it all
feel ultimately unsatisfying.

Miriam McDonald

The part about The Dreaming came
to Nick Lake in a dream. In it, he was
Shelby and the coyote protected him.

Frozen Charlone

An army of Annabelles

irir'k

Release Date: DDT NOW!

354 pages Paperback/ebook
Author: Alex Bell

Publisher: Stripes Publishing

With sales of Ouija

boards on the up and panicking
priests warning off potential
dabblers, this YA horror - the
first in new range Red Eye - is
well timed.

When Sophie and Jay play with
a Ouija app they accidentally
unleash something nasty.
Traumatised, Sophie goes to stay
with her uncle in the country.

It’s not a great move: he lives in
a creepy old house with his
weird kids and a collection of
sinister dolls...

Annoyingly, the most intriguing
idea here - the app - is left largely
unexplored in favour of a grab-bag
of horror tropes, some of which
are more successful than others.
Still, there are some satisfying
ghost story scares and the dolls’
dialogue is fun. Horror fans will
find it tame, but it makes for a solid
entry-level shocker. Will Salmon

&

Frozen Charlotte dolls originated in late
19th/early 20th century North America.
Male versions are called Frozen Charlies!

</> HALF A KING

<i>

</>

W

a

29 January

Author: Job AbBrcromblB
PubllshBrHarpBrVoyagBr

The author of the blood-
soaked First Law books doing
YA? Whaaat? Fear not, fans.
Though this book has less
shagging and swears, it’s still
recognisably his brand of
mud-caked, magic-lite fantasy. It follows
teenage prince Yarvin, who’s overthrown
and sold into slavery, then escapes to
reclaim his throne. We called it: “grimdark
fantasy for people don’t have the patience
or stomach for Game Of Thrones.”

THE QUIET WOMAN

Release Dr DUTNDW!

Author: ChristophBrPriBst
Publisher: Gollancz

The reissues of Christopher
Priest’s back catalogue
continue with this 1990
release. Set in an oppressive
alternate Britain where a
Chernobyl-like disaster in
France has spread fallout over the south
of England, it follows Alice, a writer whose
friend was murdered. Switching between
the sometimes completely conflicting
viewpoints of Alice and an “information
management” expert, this satirical spin
on life under Thatcher concludes in
unsatisfyingly abrupt fashion.

SMILEH’SFAIH

★★★★

Release!:::: DUTNDW!

Author: RBbBCcaLBVBOB
Publishor: HoddorSc Stoughton

a The first volume in the Flollow
Gods series revolves around
the titular travelling carnival.
It’s a den of vice which, we’re
told, “holds one example of
all that there is in the world”;
a world where the chaotic moon god is
set to return to claim his birthright... We
said: “Consistently surprising, packing in
plenty of character development, fast and
brutal action, and even some storylines
that are wrapped up before the end.”

WHAT MAKES THIS
BOOK SO GREAT

Release Date: 8 January

Author: Jo Walton
PublishBr: Corsair

Subtitled Re-Reading The
Classics Of Fantasy And SF,
this collection reprints 129
essays by Jo Walton, originally
published on Tor.com. We
said: “What shines through
is Walton’s love of speculative fiction...
Flowever, these short, pithy pieces,
which work brilliantly online, become
overwhelming when they’re gathered
together and read in one sitting.”

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

Deathblade

Malus guffaw-naught

if'kif-.

Release Date; 15 January

320 pages Hardback
Author: CL Werner

Publisher: The Black Library

Long-time readers of

epic fantasy may note a slight
resemblance between Malus
Darkblade, titular hero of The
Tales Of Malus Darkblade, and a
certain magic sword-wielding
albino hero made famous by
Michael Moorcock. But Elric
of Melnibone isn’t the only clear
influence on display in Deathblade,
CL Werner’s latest addition to the
series. There’s a heavy dose of
Jack Vance’s Cugel’s Saga, and
even a little of Gene Wolfe’s
The Book Of The New Sun in this
conniving dark elf anti-hero.

After numerous life-imperilling
quests described in earlier books
and comics, and a decade spent
wandering the Chaos wastes with
only the sword of Khaine for
company, Malus has finally plotted
and backstabbed his way to true
power. But his position as ruler of
the city of Hag Graef is imperilled

when the Witch King orders
an outright attack on the High
Elves, with Malus in the vanguard
- the very last place a self-obsessed
coward wants to be...

All of this is the stuff of solid,
archetypal fantasy that both
Warhammer and genre fans will
enjoy reading. But Deathblade
misses out on the ironic, dark
humour that an anti-hero like
Malus really needs. Werner lets
the Darkblade take himself a little
too seriously, and the result is a
story that too often falls flat just
when it should raise a laugh.
Damien Walter

&

Werner realised he wanted to write after
reading The Hound Of The Baskervilles at
age 10, then writing his own Holmes story.

LenersTo

Lovecraft

Essay-inspired anthology

if-k-kir'k

Release Dat: OUT NOW!

280 pages Paperback
Editor: Jesse Bullington

Publisher: Stone Skin Press

If your skin crawls at

HP Lovecraft pastiche or sub-par
mythos shenanigans, don’t be put
off reading this. The premise is
intelligent: to engage with the
author through his 1927 essay
“Supernatural Horror In Literature”.
Eighteen authors each picked a
quote, then wrote a story inspired by
it. The results are variable, but
although non-Euclidean geometries
and Deep Ones raise their fish-eyed
heads, refreshingly the majority of
the stories are non-mythos, and all
are fiction of the better sort.

Chesya Burke’s “The Horror
At Castle Of The Cumbernauld”
is the most affecting. This tale of
gross injustice shocks with its
real-world horror, and is also
genuinely “weird”. In fact, Burke’s
story is so effective it highlights the
problem with modern horror:

few of these stories are horrifying,
frightening, or even that weird.
Lovecraft’s fiction is chilling
because it came from the real
(if repugnantly erroneous) terror
he felt for the Other. Burke’s story
works because it too is powered by
strong emotion: she is an African-
American writer directly engaging
with the terrible engine of
Lovecraft’s creativity.

Life in the 21st century is too
lacking in pain, madness and fear to
inspire terrifying literature. Many of
us have spare pennies to spend on
Cthulhu plushies. Letters To
Lovecraft reflects that. Guy Haley

Out 28 February: Weirder Shadows Over
Innsmouth, a third collection inspired by
Lovecraft’s “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”.

WHSmith

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discretion, to have been forged, defaced or otherwise tampered with.

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iRdlodi

BOOKCLUBli

The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood, 1985

Arthur C Clarke Award winner Lauren Beukes revisits
another Avinner’s sterile sex cult dystopia

II

T he paranoid,

conservative ’80s was a boomtime
for barbed dystopias, from Brazil
and Waiting For The Barbarians
to V For Vendetta and The
Handmaid’s Tale; fictional funhouse
mirrors that you didn’t want to examine
too closely, to see that the reflected
reality wasn’t that much of a stretch.

Margaret Atwood wrote her novel,
appropriately, in 1984. And just like
Orwell’s novel is used as easy shorthand
in any conversation about surveillance
society and propaganda. The Handmaid’s
Tale gets busted out whenever an
American senator talks about “legitimate
rape” and how a “woman’s body knows
how to shut that down”, for example, or
when medical schemes won’t pay for
contraception or a girl gets shot for
daring to go to school.

In 1970 abortion was legalised in New
York. It required an act of humanity, of
empathy. When the vote was deadlocked
at 74-74, an Assemblyman from a deeply
Catholic district stood up, his voice thick
and trembling, and said that he knew
this would be the end of his political
career, but he couldn’t let this bill fail
because of him. He changed his vote. He
collapsed into his seat, his hand over his
face and the Assembly erupted in chaos.
But it was done. Abortion was legal and
other states followed suit.

Almost 50 years later and a woman’s
right to control her body is still,
somehow, an issue that is up for debate
and Atwood’s tale seems more prescient
than ever. But it would be too facile to
hold up the book as simply a compelling
parable about reproductive rights.

Let’s be clear that the novel is not
about abortion. In fact, the story
speculates that abortion might have been
one of the many factors, along with toxic
pollution, that has led to a global sterility
and the formation of a nation state called
Gilead, where the fundamentalist

€

ATVV€f^

ITS more than a
parable about
freedom of choice

religious right police fertility and who
does or does not get to have sex.

It’s the story of Offred, who has been
forced to surrender her name and her
freedom, as one of the brood mares (or
handmaids, from the Bible) to the new
regime’s leaders and their sterile wives.
She wears red robes with a winged white
wimple, and once a month, in a scene
that’s comically horrifying, lies
symbolically between the legs of her
commander’s wife, as he pushes and
shoves his way between hers to do his
Godly duty to propagate the earth,
everyone cool and distant and thinking
of England - or rather, Gilead.

LIKE THIS? TRY THESE!

The comic story about a social crusader
inspired a movie, which inspired the
real-life Anonymous, who are stranger
and more intriguing than fiction.

But Offred is not cool and distant. She
feels intensely, especially the loss of her
defiant friend Moira and her stolen
daughter and her missing husband. She
has to fight her attraction to Nick, the
driver, who may be part of the
underground or an Eye for the regime,
confront the vulnerability of the
commander who invites her to play
illicit Scrabble games, and the cruelty of
the Aunts, who play educators and
enforcers, because there are always
those oppressed who are complicit in
their oppression.

Atwood draws from history, from the
underground railway that helped free
slaves to the feminist activism of the
’70s, aborigine foremen and all the ways
we are complacent and complicit. But it
comes down to something Offred
remembers about Hitler’s mistress,
about “how easy it is to invent a
humanity for anyone at all”.

The book never loses sight of that
empathy - revealing the humanity even
in the worst of them. The Handmaid’s
Tale is a feminist parable about freedom
of choice, for sure, but it’s also about
how easily politics can loop our necks
like the nooses on the people hanging on
the wall. Ultimately, it’s about all the
things which slip outside of any
dictatorship’s control: love, desire, our
craving for other people.

“Nobody dies from lack of sex, it’s lack
of love we die from.”

Lauren Beukes is the author of The
Shining Girls, Broken Monsters and the
Clarke Award-winning Zoo City.

The Walking Dead without the
bleakness - a dystopic tale of a
travelling theatre girl caught up in a
sci-fi comic book, a Broadway star and
the museum of lost things.

GALLING
ALL BOOK
LOVERS!

Do you spend your
life with a book in your
hand? Do you have
opinions you want to
share about everything
you read? Then you’re
the sort of person we’re
looking for to become
part of our exciting
new SFX Book Club
Reading Group.

The Reading Group
will be our first port
of call every month
for comments in Book
Club - we’ll give you
advance warning of
what’s coming up on the
page, and invite you to
read the book with us.
Then, you’ll be given the
opportunity to tell the
world what you think
about the book and
what it means to you.

The best bit? Every time
you contribute, we’ll find
you a free book from our
vast repository in the
SFX office.

If you want to join
the select group that
is the SFX Book Club
Reading Group (or have
an idea for a catchier
title), email us at sfx@
futurenet.com (using the
subject header “Reading
Group”) with a 100-word
critique of the last SF/
fantasy book you read,
and a few lines telling us
why you’re right for the
group. We look forward
to hearing from you!

GET

READING!

The SFX Book Club is
your chance to read the
best books along with
the best authors
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NEXT ISSUE

Adrian Tchaikovsky casts
his eye over Justina
Robson’s Living Next
Door To The God Of Love.

^

fustiNJ

mm

i lVIneWf^KC EKHJR TO tut

If you’ve not read the
book before (or you
have but you’ve been
waiting for an excuse to
read it again) this is your
chance to see what a top
novelist and other SFX
readers think.

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AVAILABLE IN PRINT ^
AND DIGITAL FORMATS

Overview

Batgirl

Gordon’s grin

★★★★

Release Date; OUT NOW!

Publisher: DC

Writers: Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher
Artists: Babs Tarr, Cameron Stewart

With Gail

Simone departing
after her lengthy
recent run on Batgirl,
it would have been
easy to maintain the
same dark, action-packed style as
before. Instead, DC have handed
the title to a creative team headed
by writer/artist Cameron Stewart.
Tapping into the same kind of
bright, accessible fun that’s made
recent hit Ms Marvel such a
delight, the result is a lively and
colourful approach that’s a
relaunch in all but name.

Relocating Barbara Gordon to
Gotham’s hip Burnside
neighbourhood, the story follows
her attempts to go back to college.
An unexpected fire means an
all-new costume as Batgirl tackles
criminals like Riot Black and the
sword-wielding Jawbreaker twins.
However, there’s also a mysterious,
so-far unnamed adversary who
knows her secret identity, and is
out to ruin her reputation...

The move from intense drama
and serial killer villains to breezy
comedy- drama is one hell of a
tonal swerve, but Stewart and his
collaborators make this an enjoyable
and fast-paced comic. Artist Babs
Tarr helps immeasurably with this,
showing a deft hand with character
while also giving the title the
requisite action and humour. There
are a few wobbly moments in these
first three issues where the new
version of Batgirl is trying a little too
hard to be hip and happening, but
otherwise this is thoroughly
entertaining stuff. Saxon Bullock

Stewart’s next art project is Dark Horse’s
10-issue sequel to Chuck Paiahniuk’s
novel Fight Club, coming in May.

Aaron got his break in comics by winning
a Marvei scriptwriting contest in 2001 - the
strip was pubiished in Wolverine #175.

traditional thought bubbles rather
than in- panel narration.

However, while this relaunched
version of Thor shows potential,
alongside some entertainingly
muscular artwork from Russell
Dauterman and Matthew Wilson, it
feels like some of the mystery is
working against the story. Keeping
the new Thor’s identity secret makes
it harder to get to know her
(especially since she doesn’t even
appear until issue one’s final page),
and Aaron’s storytelling choices
mean that for large chunks of the
plot she’s alone and talking to herself.

Issue three’s action sequence
does a good job of giving us
characterisation as well as some epic
punches, but given how important
this new version of Thor is, this isn’t
the most ideal or accessible
introduction, especially for any
potential new readers.

However, while Aaron may have
dropped the ball a little with these
flaws, he’s also delivering the kind of
over-the-top action and mythological
colour that a comic like Thor
demands. Time will tell exactly how
interesting a character the female
Thor proves to be, but for now this
new era in the Thunder God/
Goddess’s life is off to an enjoyable
and promising start. Saxon Bullock

Rise of the Thunder Goddess

★★★

Release Date; OUT NOW!

Publislier: Marvel
Writer: Jason Aaron

Artists: Russell Bauterman, Matthew Wilson

Over the last

few years. Marvel have
been proving themselves
masters at provoking
fanboy internet rage,
but little has made
certain close-minded areas of
fandom quite as mad as the
announcement of a brand new,
female version of Thor.

Admittedly, Marvel hasn’t been
quite as brave or daring as to actually
change their character’s sex. The
original Thor is still around, and still
the son of Odin, but his story is
heading in some new directions in
the wake of Marvel’s recent
miniseries Original Sin.

After hearing a dark secret that
rendered him incapable of wielding
the mighty hammer Mjolnir, Thor
has lost his powers and is a broken
man. When a deep sea invasion by
Frost Giants occurs, with the aid of
dark elf sorcerer Malekith the

Accursed, Thor tries desperately to
fight off the invasion but fails - and
then a mysterious masked female
appears, able to lift Mjolnir and
summon all the powers of the
Thunder God...

One of the big questions since the
announcement has been the identity
of the mystery woman taking over as
Thor, but if these first three issues
are an indication, writer Jason Aaron
is in no hurry to reveal that secret.
Some will dismiss this new female
incarnation as a gimmick, but so far
it’s an interesting way to explore the
nature of what makes the Thunder
God truly “worthy”, and we’ll still
be following the original Thor at
regular intervals. Aaron pulls off an
enjoyable sense of energy and
colour, while also utilising more
adventurous stylistic choices -
including a strong reliance on

Delivers the kind of
over-the-top ectlon
that Thor demands

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

In association with

www.selfmadehero.com

SEIF

MADE

HERO

COMICS

Overview

Gotham Academy

Pottering about Batman’s beat

★★★★★

Release Date: OUT NOW!

Publisher: DC Comics

Writers: Becky Gioonan and Brenden Fietcher
Artists: Kari Kerschi, Geyser and Gave McCaig

The New 52 is

not so new anymore,
and DC’s last three
years have featured
multiple mess-ups with
its female characters,
alongside a general sense that dark,
gory and extreme stories are the only
ones that really matter. As a result,
it’s a huge surprise that DC’s latest
new Batman- related release is not
only a genuine all-ages comic, but
also one of its best titles since the
2011 relaunch.

The story is set at the titular
academy, a sprawling, high-class
institution for educating the children

Overview

Birthright

Jumanji RR Martin

Release Date: OUT NOW!

Publisher: image
Writer: Joshua Wiiiiamson
Artist: Andrei Bressan

Birthright

moves fire-fast and
barely stops to catch
dragon-breath. Our
hero, Mikey, is
introduced as a little
boy running into the woods, playing
catch with his dad. Mikey doesn’t
return, and is declared missing. A
search is mounted, and his dad’s
accused of murdering his son, which
leads to the collapse of his marriage.
For a lot of books, that would be
enough to fill an issue. Here, it’s the
first five pages.

The next time we see Mikey, a
year’s passed. Only, he’s not a little
boy. He’s a fully-grown warrior,
sitting in a police station covered in
bad-ass armour, looking like Conan
via Jon Snow. Turns out Mikey ran
face-first into a fantasy world full of
magic, dragons and monsters. Time

of Gotham’s brightest and best. This
being Gotham, there are a variety of
dark and spooky mysteries lurking in
the shadows, and students Olive
Silverlock and “Maps” Mizoguchi
are soon investigating them. But
Olive has some secrets of her own,
like what happened to her over the
summer, and her mortal dread of
anything relating to Batman...

Co-writers Becky Cloonan and
Brenden Fletcher have jam-packed
the first three issues of this Harry
Potter-esque school saga with
eccentric charm and likeable,
interesting characters, giving the
comic its own distinct identity
while sowing the seeds for plenty
of upcoming plot threads. What
pushes this from engaging,
accessible fun into unmissable
territory is the stunning artwork
from Karl Kerschi (backed up by

lush colours from Geyser and Dave
McCaig). The gorgeous, manga-
esque visuals make this feel like the
animated DC movie spin-off you
never knew you wanted. Hopefully
Gotham Academy will be livening up
the world of Batman for many years
to come. Saxon Bullock

&

The first comic Becky Cloonan read was issue
one of The Silver Surfer: The Evolutionary
War, when she was eight years old.

passed differently there, so he’s now
an adult while his family have
barely aged. He’s back to save the
world (or is he?). But first, he has to
convince his parents he’s the little
boy they lost...

And that’s only the beginning.
Joshua Williamson has created a
rich world, full of detail and wonder.
The narrative shifts between present
reality and Mikey’s past adventures,
resulting in evocative drama on one

page followed by epic action on the
next. Each reality is compelling,
and beautifully rendered by artist
Andrei Bressan.

If Birthright keeps up this pace,
it’ll be the best book Image has put
out since Saga. It’s not fantasy to
suggest you’ll be hearing a lot more
about this one. Sam Ashurst

Birthright is a comic packed with detaii.
Look closely through issue one for cameos
by Conan, Willow and He-Man.

He had high
expectations of
those candies.

Overview

Annihilator

Barton Fink in outer space

'k'k'k'k

Release Date: OUT NOW!

Publisher: Legendary Comics
Writer: Grant Morrison

Artist: Frazer irving

If The

Multiversity is Grant
Morrison’s fond
farewell to the DC
Universe, then this
creator-owned
mini-series shows that DC’s loss
is indie comics’ gain.

Named after real-life black hole
the Great Annihilator, on the
surface it’s the story of struggling
screenwriter Ray Spass’s
encounters with Max Nomax, the
supposedly fictional protagonist of
his latest blockbuster script. But dig
deeper and familiar themes emerge.

Continuing Morrison’s
fascination with not so much
breaking down but completely
shattering the fourth wall, the
constant shifts between Max’s
interstellar milieu and Ray’s
increasingly surreal reality evoke
Dennis Potter’s The Singing
Detective. And while issue three’s
surprise revelation conjures up the
playful spirit of The Multiversity:
The Just’s haunted comic, the wry
asides about Hollywood’s
renowned shallowness channel
Morrison’s own recent experiences
as a scribe-for-hire in Tinseltown.

He also has some fun with his
long-standing rivalry with Alan
Moore, as issue one’s early segue
between the singularity’s vast
depths and a seemingly bottomless
sinkhole at Ray’s LA house pays a
neat tribute to Watchmen’s iconic
opening scene. But while Dave
Gibbons was confined to a rigid
grid structure, here Frazer Irving
adopts a more organic style of
layout, and his fluid linework and
muted colours bring Morrison’s
brilliant metafiction to stunning
life. Stephen Jewell

Morrison’s Sinatoro - originally written
as a movie screenplay - is being adapted
into a comic. Issue one’s due in April.

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Game Of Thrones Episode 1: Iron From Ice

The game is not the same

iririri

Release Date: OUT NOW!

Format reviewed: Xbox One

Also available on: Xbox 360, PS3, PSA, PC, Mac, iOS

Publisher: Telltale Games

In the game of

thrones, you win or you
die. In the game of the
game of thrones, it’s
slightly more subtle
than that. Telltale’s visit
to George RR Martin’s notoriously
unfair universe gives you the reins in
a world where the concept of finality
is taken seriously. Most of the time,
this means someone getting a knife
through the throat, but here it’s
more a case of sticking with decisions
- even if they don’t satisfy everyone.
Where Telltale normally relies on
fairly social choices, options with
little effect outside of the personal.
Game Of Thrones the game - like the
books and the TV show - deals with
far grander ramifications.

At one point, a criminal needs to be
punished for stealing. You’ve just

Lego Batman 3:
Beyond Gotham

Not quite super

Release Date: OUT NOW!

Format reviewed: Xbox One

Also available on: Xbox 360, PSA, PS3, PS Vita, WII U, IDS, PC
Publisher: Warner Bros

S WM Lego Marvel

^ ® it wielded the
originality and references that a
huge comic-book kingdom deserves.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham,
though, awkwardly shines the
DC universe through the prism of
Batman. All the powers that make
superheroes unique are shared
between characters by way of suit
upgrades, which robs them of their
individuality and adds a tiring and
fiddly mechanic. Thanks to the
speed of upgrade unlocks, this
quickly makes Batman himself
all but redundant. So we’re looking
at a Batman game which, somehow,
makes you not really want to play as
Batman. Not a great success there.

been promoted to Lord, and you
need to show your authority.

But he’s telling you he’s innocent,
and the crowd are alternately
jeering and calling for mercy.

Do you cut his fingers off, the
standard punishment for thievery?
Banish him to the Wall, far from his
family? Or let him go, and risk
seeming soft? There’s no wrong

answer, but there’s no right one
either. Here’s where Game Of
Thrones differs from the Telltale
formula - you’ll feel unsure in your
choices whatever you do. Effects
aren’t limited to an inner circle -
you’re in control of hundreds of lives.

The game shines in these moments
of heart- wrenching diplomacy, but
they arise too rarely in a story penned

It looks as polished as Lego games
always do, there are hints of that
unique Lego thought process -
at one point, the problem of big
tentacles Bailing around a base is
solved by a giant knife which cuts
them up into sashimi - and the
dialogue certainly has plenty of
personality. The trouble is those
personalities just don’t reach the
effortless levels we’ve seen before.
Constant reference is made to how
unfunny the jokes are and Batman
is a massive jerk, acting as if he
might storm off to his Batroom at
any moment.

People who love Lego games will
still find the ludicrous amount of
value you expect from these worlds,
but we’d be surprised if anyone loved
Lego Batman 3. Kate Gray

&

The season pass, available for £11.99,
grants access to six DLC packs with new
missions and free play modes.

World Of Warcraft:
Warlords Of
Oraenor

Orcward encounters

★★★★★

Release Date: OUT NOW!

Format reviewed: PC

Price: £30 (£10 montbly subscription required)
Publisher: Blizzard

•■K.'tiFlJ.ILli''

Warlords Of

Draenor is Blizzard
going back to its roots,
if hardly back to
basics. Ores. Humans.
The raw power of the
Horde, in a land of blood and fire.
It’s also some of the best MMO
content Blizzard has ever made,
combining the raw ambition we saw
exhibited in previous expansion
Wrath Of The Lich King with the
expertise earned from another six
years of practice, refinement and
technological progress.

You’re now officially one of
Azeroth’s heavy-hitters; where once
some random guard in a nowhere
outpost could have you go get him
lunch, now you’re given proper
respect wherever you go. You have

in by wider Westerns happenings.
Beginning in the camp outside the
Red Wedding - with no context
prvided for newbies who don’t know
what that is - you never shake the
feeling you’re just a ripple on the
periphery of the exciting HBO splash.
As the Forrester clan (whose house
the main characters belong to) aren’t
in the show, you get the impression
theirs is a fundamentally
unimportant story. Admittedly,
Telltale was never going to let us
rewrite the main events, but the
inclusion of characters from the TV
series only serves as a reminder that
more exciting things are going on.

That said, it still charms with its
lovely smudged pastel look, and
there’s no doubt the writers get the
show’s fruitier grasp of language.

But as solid a representation of
Westeros as this is, it’s a narratively
unimpressive start to what we
hope will be a much more well-
rounded series. Kate Gray

&

The game starts at the end of season three
of the TV series, and while you don’t need
to have watched that far, it helps.

full control of your faction’s main
garrison. The whole garrison
system is simple but effective, the
physical presence of recruited
followers and the general sense of
life making it feel like your own
place, despite everyone using the
same instanced map.

It’s still reassuringly World Of
Warcraft at its core. There are bear
asses to collect and ten of these to
kill followed by twenty of those, and
nothing you encounter is going to
cause any real trouble. But if
Pandaria felt a bit like Blizzard
flapping around after such a good
run, this feels like there actually
could be another ten good years in
the old girl. A triumphant return to
form for both Blizzard and its world.
Richard Cobbett

Warlords Of Draenor is the first expansion
pack to take place primarily before the
main timeline, in a branching reality.

Get sci-fi new, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

VIDEOGAMES/MISGELLANEOUS

Audio CD

★★★★

Release Date: 15 January

195 minutes I CD
Director: Dirk Maggs

Cast: Peter Serafinowicz, Mark Heap, Goiin Morgan,
Ghariotte Ritchie
Publisher: BBC Audio

It’s a tricky business,

bringing a much-loved book to life
on screen or radio. Teasing out the
essence of the story while keeping
what made it great and not
alienating the fans... it’s a difficult
balance, and one we’re not sure
this Radio Four adaptation of Terry
Pratchett and Neil Caiman’s 1990
novel completely achieves.

Armageddon is approaching,
and the Antichrist is in the world
- though no one knows exactly
where he is. The angel Aziraphale
and demon Crowley are meant to
help hurry things along, but
they’ve grown to quite like this
world, so are secretly trying to
prevent armageddon without
alerting their superiors. Predicting
everything that’s to happen along
the way is The Nice And Accurate
Prophecies Of Agnes Nutter, Witch,
a handy if opaque guide to events
by a psychic 17th century witch.

It’s a lot to cram in, and the
adaptation copes with this by
following the book very closely -
there’s not much left out, and the
precise, witty notes and
descriptions are often turned
verbatim into dialogue, not always
successfully. The voice cast is
great: Peter Serafinowicz is pitch
perfect as Crowley, though Mark
Heap is just a tad too fussy as
Aziraphale. Clive Russell as
Shadwell and Phil Davis as Hastur
stand out, and a first episode
cameo from the authors is a treat.

This is a good adaptation of a
great book. It’s just a shame it
didn’t have the confidence to
stamp more of its own personality
on the source material.

Rhian Drinkwater

For the novel, Gaiman wrote the Four
Horsemen while Pratchett wrote Adam
and Them, sharing copy on floppy discs.

Everyone loves a gun-wielding tortoise...

The Highest
Science

'kir'ki

Release Date: OUT NOW!

127 minutes I GD/download

Publisher: Big Finish

The Hani Elite

'k'k'ki

Release Date: OUT NOW!

10B minutes: GD/download
Publisher: Big Finish

The Early
Adventures: An

Ordinary Life

Release Date: OUT NOW!

123 minutes! GD/download

Publisher: Big Finish

During the mid-’90s

“wilderness years” of Doctor Who,
the New Adventures line of spin-off
novels kept the show alive while

off the air, and some of the most
fondly remembered were written
by Careth Roberts (who eventually
became a frequent writer for the
new series). Now, Roberts’s first
New Adventure, The Highest Science,
has been adapted for audio by
Big Finish. It’s an enjoyable romp
featuring the Seventh Doctor
alongside regular spin-off
companion Bernice Summerfield
(Lisa Bowerman).

As the TARDIS crew embark
on an unexpected quest on a
deserted planet, there’s danger from
a variety of sources, including the
militaristic, tortoise-like alien
Chelonians, while the fast-paced plot
throws in lots of strong dialogue and
imaginative concepts. What it can’t
do is disguise the one- dimensional
chief villain or the frequently
random storytelling, resulting in a
fizzle of a climax that feels as if
Roberts simply ran out of plot.
However, Bowerman once again
makes a lively Who companion,
and this is ultimately an entertaining
if not quite essential listen.

Over in the regular monthly
releases, the Sixth Doctor and

Peri are pitched
against a new
incarnation of an old
enemy. The Rani Elite
sees the TARDIS arriving
at a prestigious galactic
academy - but a significant
professor there has been
replaced by renegade Time Lady
the Rani (Siobhan Redmond),
who’s embarking on another
lethal plan... There are some
well-crafted plot twists here and
the script makes good use of the
Rani’s amoral nature, while both
Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant are
on excellent form. Unfortunately,
Redmond’s performance as the
Rani is a little flat, meaning this
story doesn’t always hit the notes
it aims for.

Finally, over in the Early
Adventures range, there’s
quieter, more reflective drama in
An Ordinary Life, set during the
Hartnell era’s 12-part epic “The
Daleks’ Master Plan”. On the run
from the Daleks, the First Doctor,
Steven Taylor and Sara Kingdom
make an unscheduled stop in ’50s
London, where they take shelter
with a newly- arrived Jamaican
family. When the Doctor apparently
abandons his companions, Steven
and Sara are left to try and cope
with everyday life. The first two
episodes are characterful drama
with well-played depth. The second
half of the story isn’t as strong,
instead going for a more traditional
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers-style
tale of alien possession, but despite
the flaws this is still an interesting
example of Who exploring difficult
and challenging themes.

Saxon Bullock

Also coming out (from BBC Audio on 15
January): a reading of Tom Baker tale “Full
Circle” by Matthew Waterhouse (Adric).

Audio CDs

Doctor Who

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Funko Product Of the Month

1 ReAction
Horror Figures

Funko I Height: 9.5010-10.5010 1 RRP:£9.99 eaoh I FPI price: £8.99 eaoh |
Cataiogue numbers: B7D19-B7D33

Funko’s ReAction range, styled like the Kenner
toys of the late 70s, reaches its apogee here
with two horror ranges: one of Universal
Monsters; another of modern-day boogeymen
like Michael Myers. You can’t go wrong giving
murderous monsters a cutesy makeover!

Only Pinhead from Hellraiser doesn’t really
work: the scale means they couldn’t replicate
those nails in his noggin.

2 Avengers

Character Watclr<^

Zeon I Length: 20cm I RRP: £10.99 1 FPI price: £9.99 1
Catalogue number: B8073

It’s time to bin the Bulgari and retire the
Rolex - your new favourite watch is here.
Okay, it’s about as basic as timepieces come
(the tiny LCD display just tells the time and
date) and unless you have the wrists of an
infant it probably won’t fit. But with two
interchangeable face plates included (either
Iron Man and The Hulk or Captain America
and Thor), there are few cooler accessories.

3 Superman Plate
And Egg Gups

Half Moon Bay I Width (plate): 18.5cm I Height (egg cups): 4.5cm I
RRP: £8.99 (for one plate or two egg cups) I FPI price: £6.99 1
^ Catalogue numbers: C1390/C1392

What does the Man of Steel eat for breakfast?
We wouldn’t be surprised if he tucks into a
hearty serving of boiled egg and soldiers.

And what better way to serve a national staple
than on this rather neat branded crockery -
after all, there are few things in life that don’t
look cooler when they’ve got a Superman logo
splashed across them.

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Box Of Delights

what we’ve been playing with this month

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

TOYS & COLLECTABLES

ALIEN SERIES FOUR FIGURES

ETA: MAY

There are two cool things about Neca’s
latest wave of Alien figures. Firstly, for
the first time they feature likenesses
of Sigourney Weaver, with Ripley
depicted both in a jumpsuit and a
spacesuit. Secondly, the spacesuited
Ripley comes with a brilliant accessory:
a frightened Jonesy the cat, arching his
back and hissing! A more mellow moggy
accompanies the jumpsuited Ripley.

5 Mirror Universe
Speck Vinyi Figure

Funko I Height: S-Scm I RRP: £12.99 1 FPI price: £10.99 1
Cataiogue number: C1457

Ah, 1967’s “Mirror, Mirror”. A classic
episode, a sinisterly goateed Mr
Spock, the first sight of whom
signals that a transporter glitch
^ has taken Captain Kirk into
^ V a twisted alternate universe.

H * Unfortunately, the chubby-chops
H treatment here brings to mind
m David Brent rather than Leonard
W Nimoy - or possibly, given that he
appears to be wearing eye shadow,

L Ricky Gervais in the days when he was
i one half of a new romantic band.

4 Death Star
Juggling Baiis

Paladone I Diameter: B.5cm I FPi price: £6.99 1
Cataiogue Number: B7354A

What better way to feel like a Disney-
dream-crossover Galactus than to toss
multiple Death Stars around? These
vinyl-panelled not-moons include
bafflingly worded “how to juggle”
instructions on the box for the non-
juggler; the seasoned juggler, however,
will likely be disappointed by the lack
of squish and the prominent, uneven
trenches left by the stitching. “Use The
Force” cries the box, but we
could only make them
hover briefly.

AOVENTURE TIME BEANIES

ETA; FEBRUARY

These aren’t the first beanie hats based on
the cult Cartoon Network series - designs
depicting Jake, Beemo and Princess
Lumpy are already available. But these
latest three, featuring Finn, Tree Trunks
and Jake, are particularly cute, thanks to
their vivid colours and fluffy bobbles. Plus,
there’s something about them which looks
a bit home made. Lie to your friends and
pretend you knitted one yourself.

FULL SIZE ROCKET RAGGOON

ETA: MARCH

Ward off Jehovah’s Witnesses by sticking
this foam replica of the genetically-
engineered rodent in your window; based
on the digital files used on Guardians Of
The Galaxy, it stands nearly three feet tall.
It is a tad disappointing that Rocket
isn’t packing a massive blaster, but with
his tightly clenched fists, he still looks
ready for action.

6 Touch Control
" ' Sonic Screwdrivor

7The1Weinh
Doctor Hgure

Gbaracter Options I Length: 22Gm(unext6nd6[l)/25Gm (extended) I RRP: £14.99
FPI price: £13.99 1 Catalogue number: B8883

CharaGter Options I Height: lOcm I FPI price: £6.99
Catalogue number: B971D

This Moffat-era model might be the best sonic yet, because
of one function: spring-loaded extending action! Squeeze a
button on the base and it flies open. The button also makes
the tip glow green and activates sound effects - when your
index finger’s wrapped around t’other side. Neat. Releasing
the “emitter jaws” with a flick of the wrist is as compulsively
satisfying as popping bubble-wrap or cracking your knuckles.

Peter Capaldi’s incarnation
materialises as part of the third
wave of dinkier 3.75" figures,
meaning he’ll only develop a
complex if you try to combine
him with his taller predecessors
(top tip: place him on some Lego
and hope no one undermines his
confidence). A freak anomaly
in the space-time continuum
means the resemblance to the
real Capaldi alternates between
impressive and boggling
depending on the angle. He
comes complete with sonic and
display stand - but where’s his
coat’s snazzy red lining? It’s on
the box art, but not our figure, so
we’re assuming this is a glitch.

THinos io come

MORE GOODIES COMING YOUR WAY

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Arrow

• BONUS FEATURES

Did You Spot? “The
Brave And The Bold”
continues Arrow’s tradition
of shout-outs. The street
intersection “Infantino and

What’s On

what to watch
when this month

Mondays - The Librarians

continue to do a Warehouse 13 type
thing on Syfy.

• Tuesdays - At long last,
Supernaturai’s ninth season comes
to UK screens - thanks to E4 for
bringing the Winchesters back to
Blighty. It’s part of a double bill with
The 100. Over on Fox, American
Horror Story: Freak Show continues
from 13 January. And on Syfy, Halle
Berry’s astronaut drama Extant
(previously on Amazon Prime) gets
a first UK TV run from 20 January.

• Wednesdays - Another long-
awaited TV season makes its UK
debut as the third year of awesome
Canadian time travel drama
Continuum arrives in our timeline
from 28 January on Syfy. The same
day, season four of Grimm brings a
touch of the fairytale to these cold
winter evenings on Watch.

what do you get when you mix an Arrow with a Flash?

I t’s a glorious time to be a superhero fan.
Enough comic-inspired films and TV shows
have been produced at this point for all the
genre’s on-screen growing pains - long
since left behind in print - to be flushed out
of mainstream storytelling. Case in point: TV’s
Arrow. Initially an attempt to translate the
success of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight
trilogy to the small screen, it found its feet
midway through its first year, then brought
propulsive action to its second season, the best
by far of any live- action superhero TV show.
Now in year three. Arrow has spawned another
series devoted to a Justice Leaguer in The
Flash, and reaps the full benefits of that
relationship in a two-part, midseason
crossover event. Comprised of The Flash’s
“The Flash Vs Arrow” and Arrow’s “The

In this case, Barry Allen,
despite his powers, represents
“the brave”, as the champion
determined to set the world’s
wrongs right. Oliver Queen is
“the bold”, the vigilante
willing to compromise his
principles in order to defeat
villains without any, and who
sacrifices the things - and
sometimes people - he loves
so others won’t have to. Of
course, as Barry’s friends Cisco
and Caitlin point out, bravery
- and cute nicknames - might
come easier when the powers of one’s foes are
so outlandish as to render the menace they hold
mere fodder for fanciful adventures.

Adams” is a nod to artists
Carmine Infantino and Neal
Adams, who designed the
Green Arrow and Flash that
inform the shows.

Trivia The swirl that
encircles Ray Palmer’s
corporate logo is another
nod to (and perhaps
foreshadowing of) his
comic-book alter ego,

The Atom, whose own
emblem it resembles.

Will Boomerang Come
Back? As longtime DC
fans know, while Captain
Boomerang is a long-term
member of the Flash’s
rogues gallery, he’s
introduced in “The Brave
And The Bold” as, primarily,
the Arrow’s enemy.

There’ll be other shows coming back from
winter breaks too over the next few weeks, so
lookout for Atlantis, The Vampire Diaries, The
Originals and more In your TV guide, along
with newbie Cockroaches on ITV2.

Brave And The Bold” - a lovely paean to the
longstanding tradition of funnybook team-ups,
named after the long-running DC title - it’s a
study in contrasts that examines what makes
our heroes tick.

As this episode opens, the STAR Labs team
pays Starling City a visit just as Digger
Harkness, a former Suicide Squad member,
breaks into ARGUS headquarters, seeking
vengeance from his former recruiter, Diggle’s

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

TALES OF WAR FROM THE GRfM
DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE

blacklibrary^com ^

VIEW SCREEN

READ SFX TV EPISODE REVIEWS AT WWW.GAMESRADAR.COM/SFX

girlfriend Lyla. The action throughout this sequence
is typical of Arrow, in that it’s pretty much the best
on television (while distinguished from the SF
oriented sequences in The Flash). In the wrong
hands, Harkness (dubbed Captain Boomerang, after
his weapon of choice) could look ridiculous, or be
stripped of what makes him interesting in an attempt
at realism. But writer-producers Greg Berlanti, Marc
Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg do their usual
finely balanced job of integrating him into the DC
TV Universe, while playing up his level of cunning

- a requirement of any adversary confident enough
to battle the bowman and the speedster.

Some have argued that this season of Arrow has
contained more navel-gazing and philosophical
ruminations from Oliver and co than previous years

- understandable when the principal antagonist thus
far is Ollie’s own perceived inability to be both
vigilante and Starling’s scion. But the navel-gazing in
“The Brave And The Bold” is pierced by the levity of
Team Flash, and the younger hero’s belief that Oliver
too can inspire people, despite his past sins.

Those looking for a greater external threat this
year would do well to remember Arrow’s past Big
Bads - Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson - revealed
their intentions late in their respective seasons. One
glimpse at what’s to come, with a bare-chested
Oliver battling Ra’s al Ghul in the snow, and it
appears that season three will follow suit. Should
things get out of hand, however, Brandon Routh’s
Ray “Atom” Palmer and JR Ramirez’s Ted “Wildcat”
Grant stand waiting in the wings. Joseph McCabe

Amy Acker

Person Of Interest’s resident
super hacker is breaking records

I How would you describe Root’s
journey this year?

There’s going to be a big change in her
character pretty soon. She’s willing to do
whatever the Machine tells her to do. But
we’re gonna see how that can cause
problems in certain situations, and maybe
even [make her] question her relationship
with the Machine.

Which of your roles most closely
mirrors your own personaiity?

Probably not Root! At the same time, when
I started, [executive producers] Greg
[Plageman] and Jonah [Nolan] said, “We
really just want her to talk like you.” But
Fred is probably the closest to me. She’s
from Texas. She loves tacos. We’ll always
have that.

I What attracts Root and Shaw to
each other?

They both are these interesting, tough,
smart women in this strange world that
maybe haven’t had someone to relate to...
The first scene Sarah and I had together
was me torturing her with an iron. I’m
really not sure if they wrote that scene to
be sexual in any way!

ft Are you a genre fan?

Yes. Starting with Angel, I was a girl in a
potato sack in a demon dimension and
ended up as a blue demon goddess.
[Laughs.] That’s been the same with Person
Of Interest - how much you’re allowed to
change and grow the character seems to
be different in genre television.

Person Of Interest airs on CBS in the US
and returns to Channel 5 later this year.

ft Have you and Joss Whedon spoken
about doing any follow-up projects
after Much Ado About Nothing"?

I was hoping when he wrapped Avengers 2
that there was gonna be a call about the
next one. So far the last Shakespeare
email we got from Joss was [him] telling
us we were inducted into the Guinness
Book Of World Records for the largest
cast commentary on a DVD. I guess he
was working on that!

Joseph McCabe

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Supernatural

Hitting the high notes

S UPERNATURAL IS 200

episodes old, and boy is it looking good
for its age.

While most sci-fi shows seem to suffer
from irreversible creative malaise

Still here? Then chances are you already
know just how spectacularly lovely “Fan
Fiction” is. Few shows could get away with the
meta plots that Supernatural deploys on a
semi-regular basis, but it’s easy to forget that for
every 42 minutes of self- referential bliss (“The
French Mistake”, “Changing Channels”) there
was horribly misjudged meta trudge “Season
Seven, Time For A Wedding!” to sour the
show’s otherwise remarkable track record.

Fortunately “Fan Fiction” gets everything
just right. Written by Robbie Thompson, the
meta- musical episode is a heartfelt and

somewhere around the 100-episode mark, hilarious tribute to the show and its fans. As

Supernatural has gone from strength to strength
since its transformative eighth season. All the
better then that the angels at E4 stepped in to
save Supernatural fans on this side of the pond
from a world without the Winchesters, as
season nine starts on E4 this month. Huzzah!

The reason this is important (beside the
obvious): I’m about to gush over the fifth
episode of season ten. So, if you don’t want one
of Supernatural’s most rewarding episodes
ruined come back in about a year. I’ll wait...

« BONUS FEATURES

Star Turn: Katie Sarife is
wonderful as Supernatural-
obsessed school girl Marie, and
even makes a mean Sam!

High Flyers: Only four other
SFX shows are part of the 200
club: Smallville (218), Stargate
SG-7 (214), TheX-Files (202)
and, of course. Doctor Who
(depends who you talk to).

My Eyes, My Eyes: Do not

Google “Supernatural Fan
Fiction images” in the hope of
finding pictures from this
episode. Unless that kind of
thing floats your boat, of course.

Best Line Calliope:
“Supernatural has everything.
Life, death, resurrection,
redemption - but above all,
family. It isn’t some meandering
piece of genre dreck, it’s... epic.”

well as telling an inventive monster of the week
tale the episode celebrates the brothers’
unbreakable bond in tear-jerking fashion and is
loaded with dozens of fan-pleasing references
and in-jokes to the point that, three viewings in,
I’m sure there are plenty I’ve still yet to see.

There are no limits to Thompson’s mining of
Supernatural fandom: even Destiel and Wincest
are tackled, complete with spot- on deadpan
reactions from Sam and Dean (but mainly
Dean). Crucially the musical numbers are also
ace. Much like Bujfy’s “Once More, With
Feeling”, “Fan Fiction” has tunes that hold up
as accomplished examples of earwormy song
writing in their own right, even before weaving
the Winchester life story into their lyrics.

It’s astonishingly clever, laugh out loud funny
and has a humdinger of a final shot too - the
return of Chuck, presumed dead after his
disappearance at the end of season five. A
simple cameo, or has he been god all along? It’s
a shame there’s no space for Cas (the real one),
Crowley or a few other familiar faces from the
show’s past, but otherwise “Fan Fiction” is note
perfect. Jordan Farley

Late season four and all of
season five (so far) have brought
me back to a show I’d given up
on. Mostly because of Carol. If
they kill her, I’m bailing again.
Grahame Robertson
I You seriously don’t think you
can be impressed any more, then
wham, the next episode hits and
it’s bloody gorgeous!

Brian Jackson

[I Always something to keep you
on the edge of your seat and now
it’s the living who are to be feared
more than the dead!

Caroline Walker
I The series continues to impress
me - I like quiet character
moments where everyone
catches their breath, but I also like
action and gruesome horror.

Neil Tex Hickman

1 ) How much of an asset to the
group would Shane be these
days? Rick might be going mad
but in hindsight, his plan might
have worked better - element of
surprise and all that!

Neil Malcolm

y Series four and five (so far) have
been Breaking Bad quality. Smart,
deliberate, character-led, drama.

Stephen Saul

I The mid-season finale disposed
of a main character in one of the
most pathetic deaths ever. They
deserved better.

Stephen CWLL

I Really glad to see some action
back inside the city. I especially
liked the melty zombies and the
ones stuck to the pavement.

Marc Farmer

D' A little lacking in direction.

Almost like they’re treading water
before something big happens.
Robin Whitehead
I It’s been on a roll of late but I’d
still like to see a little humour. I
know they’re living in bleak times
but if we saw them enjoying each
other’s company I’d probably
care what happens to them more.
They’re always so deadly serious!
Ian Salsbury

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YOU HAVE BEEN WATCHING...

THE WALKING DEAD

What SEX’S Facebook and Twitter followers are saying about The Walking Dead’s fifth season so far...

TV REVIEWS
AND OPINION

The Vampire Diaries

Better than last year - but is that enough?

T he Vampire Diaries is

becoming increasingly review proof.
What can you say other than, “It’s The
Vampire Diaries, you know the score”. If
we tell you that - so far - season six is
slightly better than season five (which it is),
that’s hardly going to get you tuning in if
you’re not currently watching the show.

because you know we’re talking a matter of
degrees. It’ll still be a vamp soap with a bunch
of characters all playing lip -locking merry-go-
round with the occasional bloody death.

We may as well tell you that that the
soundtrack is mildly less irritating this year.
There’s a reason for that. Some of the early
episodes are partially set in 1994, so the usual

• BONUS FEATURES

Trivia: Matt Davis (Alaric) is
now once again an official
regular character.

U Ratings: The season
premiere was the least
watched premiere in the
show’s history, with 1.18
million viewers in the US.

[^What’s In A Name: The
episode “Yellow Ledbetter” is

named after a Pearl Jam track
that was on the B-side of the
single “Jeremy”. We see no flip
side to Jeremy in this episode.

Best Line: Damon: “If a bunch
of witches were going to get
together and create some
space-time purgatory, you’d
think they’d pick a better year
than the one Kurt Cobain
killed himself. The whole thing
was just very depressing.”

whiny pop from artists you’ve never heard of
is replaced by some proper classics from that
year by bands that you have. This is good.

But is that really going to make a difference to
whether you watch it or not?

Time travel suggests some major changes
going on. Well, yeah. And no. This is The
Vampire Diaries. It can Vampire Diaries-ise any
new plot element. So yeah, bad boy vampire
Damon and witch Bonnie - both presumed
dead by self-sacrifice - have instead ended up
in a witch-created 1994 that looks just like
Mystic Falls except the place is deserted aside
from an imprisoned psycho. Interesting, but
not time travelly. They may as well have
become trapped in a deserted Burger King.

The other big gimmick is the magical
barrier around Mystic Falls that doesn’t allow
the supernatural to exist within it (meaning all
the vampires are stuck outside). The writers
have been having some fun with this concept,
but you know its days are numbered.

Other than that, it’s business as usual: slick,
witty on occasions, nicely gruesome when it
needs to be and Damon’s fruit machine eyes
are fascinatingly bizarre. But it seems to be on
constant loop - and that’s the epitome of the
law of diminishing returns. Dave Golder

BROADCAST

The Librarians

Warehouse 14?

T he following is a

transcript of an internet forum
conversation a few moments after the
first episode of The Librarians has
finished airing. Possibly.

TheDiktor: “That was just a limp version

Warehouse 13 was inspired by the final shot of
Raiders Of The Lost Ark anyway.”

TheDiktor: “I’ve never heard that.”
AllSeeingIvy: “Some truths don’t need to be
documented, they just need to be repeated

of Warehouse 13.”

AllSeeingIvy: “I think you’ll find it’s based on
three TNT TV movies called The Librarian, the
first of which predates the first episode of
Warehouse 13 by some years.”

TheDiktor: “We only got them recently.”
AllSeeingIvy: “I wouldn’t complain. They
were like cheap comedy versions of Indiana
Jones with very poor jokes.”

TheDiktor: “So were they Indiana Jones
or Warehouse 13T’

AllSeeingIvy: “I think you’ll find that

r

• BONUS FEATURES

Continuity: Flynn (Noah
Wyle) mentions having killed
Dracula, which he did in the
third TV movie. Curse Of The
Judas Chalice.

It’s Wossisname: Christian
Kane, who plays Jake Stone, is
best know to telefantasy
viewers as demon lawyer
Lindsey McDonald in Angel.

[ Nitpicking: Among the
many Doctor Who parallels
in the opening episode is a
reference to a “fixed point in
space”. Which just seems to be
an American way of saying,

“a place”.

1^ Best Lines:

Eve: “I need an answer.”

Flynn: “This is my answer.”

Eve: “Walking away quickly is
not an answer.”

enough times on the internet to become fact.”
TheDiktor: “True enough. So was this the
same set-up? The same cast?”

AllSeeingIvy: “Surprisingly yes, though you
won’t see as much oiER’s Noah Wyle, Third
Rock’s Jane Curtin and Bob Newheart in the
future. They’re handing over to the new team.”
TheDiktor: “At which point it will be
indistinguishable from Warehouse 13, except
the jokes are crapper. Librarians/agents travel
the world to find mystical artefacts to bring
back to the library/warehouse. The Librarian
may have got there first, but if Warehouse 13
did it better in the meantime, why bother?”
AllSeeingIvy: “It’s not that bad...”
TheDicktor: “There are some fun moments,
but it’s pretty lame overall with obvious gags,
cheap props, lots of shouting and a then-this,
then-this, then-this plotting style. And why is
Noah Wyle doing a bad impression of the
Tennant and Smith Doctor combined? Bow tie
and baseball boots, the bit where he becomes
fascinated with the word Vex’ - very Moffat.”
AllSeeingIvy: “You won’t have to suffer
for long.”

TheDiktor: “You’re right. I’m not bothering
with the next episode.”

Dave Golder

Get sci-fi news, reviews and features at gamesradar.com/sfx

TALES OF WAH FROM THE GRfM
DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE

blcicklibrary^com ^

VIEW SCREEN

READ SFX TV EPISODE REVIEWS AT WWW.GAMESRADAR.COM/SFX

SPURIOUS AWARDS

Celebrating the silliest moments from the month in TV

GEEKY T-SHIRT
OF THE MONTH

Cisco seems to have a
never-ending suppiy of
geeky t-shirts on The
Flash, but this is our
favourite so far.

Subscribe at myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/sfx

• DAPPER VAMPS
OF THE MONTH

Seems Koi didn’t get the memo
that tuxes and top hats were in
this season on The Originals.

LEAST

HYGENIC POOL OF
THE MONTH

Heaith and safety wouid
have a fieid day with this
swimming pooi on
American Horror Story.

• MOST

DRAMATICALLY LIT
STATIONERY SHOP
OF THE MONTH

We’re guessing this is where
the devii picks up his feit tips
on Constantine.

• ADORABLE
AFFLICTION OF
THE MONTH

The marks ieft by the
Troubies on Haven’s Duke
iook iike they’re giving
him a hug, aww.

• DEATH WISH
OF THE MONTH

Baiancing precariousiy
on a banister in SOCKS?
That’s just asking fora
broken neck on Gotham.

• UNEXPECTED
SUPERPOWER
OF THE MONTH

Forget exceptionai
archery, gioveiess
mountain ciimbing
is Oiiver’s reai
superpower on Arrow.

• EXTREME WEIGHT
LOSS OF THE MONTH

Weii, that’s one way to shed a
few pounds on Supernatural.

• FAR-FETCHED
PRODUCT
PLACEMENT OF
THE MONTH

Did anyone iike Tron:
Legacy enough to want a
iicensed iunch box? Once
Upon A Time’s Henry
doesn’t count.

COMICAL
ELECTROSHOCK
MOMENT OF THE MONTH

Conciusive proof on SHIELD that
whenever you freeze frame a
character getting eiectrocuted it’s
aiways hiiarious.

fOfpL#*f^ecpu

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF TIMELESS SF

The Riddler

NICK SETCHFIELD,
FEATURES EDITOR

As lean and as crooked as one of his
question marks, Frank Gorshin’s
Riddler is my favourite Batman villain.

Mainlining the box- set of the
’60s series, I’m reminded how
Gorshin’s brand of supervillainy
exists in a whole other league to his fellow Bat-felons.

So many of the show’s guest stars feel like Hollywood
warhorses plundering the dressing-up box and having
a right old hoot, earning cool points with the grandkids
and banking anecdotes for Bing’s next pool party in
Palm Springs.

Gorshin’s different. Gorshin’s crazy.

Just look at him, this deranged matchstick man in
green tights, scampering through the day-glo unreality
of Gotham City. Convulsed in hysteria, a vein throbbing
fit to burst on his brow, he’s like a spider frying in an
electric socket - and loving it. Gorshin brings such a
brilliant, defining physicality to the role. No wonder
the equally elastic Jim Carrey openly homaged his
predecessor in 1995’s Batman Forever.

You can hear the madness of King Frank in that
immortal giggle, too. It’s a contagiously cracked sound,
more demented than a hyena dosed on laughing gas. But
watch how Gorshin switches in a heartbeat from manic
glee to psychotic chill. There’s something genuinely
frightening in those eyes. He’s the only ’60s Batman villain
you’d be wise to be afraid of (King Tut? Get out of here).

Gorshin confessed he stole that giggle from Richard
Widmark in I947’s Kiss Of Death (it’s the sound of a man
pushing a wheelchair-bound old lady down the stairs,
apparently). He first won fame as an impressionist, in fact,
and became a popular nightclub draw, headlining in Vegas.

And there’s a definite pinch of
Rat Pack DNA in him.

Gorshin once performed a
song as the Riddler on a Dean
Martin TV special. Sharp of
suit, flanked by go-go girls,
he reels off puzzlers before
collapsing in demented fits.
YouTube it. It’s like a lounge
act in hell.

There’s a Gorshin anecdote
I love. One day he stole the
Batmobile. Shooting a scene
where the Riddler hijacks the
caped crusader’s wheels in a
Gotham alley, Gorshin ignored
the frantic cries of “Cut!”,
gunned the accelerator and
kept driving, rocketing into
the Hollywood hills. I’d like to
believe he was giggling all the
way, the lunatic. ^2^

Qfact attack!

I Frank Gorshin was Emmy-
nominated for his turn as
the Riddler.

> He appeared on the same
1964 edition of The Ed Sullivan
Show as the Beatles.

I The Riddler only appeared in
two 1940s comic book stories
before being revived in the
mid-’60s.

f Gorshin returned to the role
of the Riddler in 1979 cringe-
a-thon Legends Of The
Superheroes.

I He actually played two
Batman villains. He voiced
Hugo Strange in three 2005
episodes of animated series
The Batman.

f Gorshin left the ultimate riddle
behind him. His gravestone
asks “What does it all mean?”

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH! WEDNESDAY 4 FEBRUARY DETAILS ON PAGE 29

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